Hush Hush
by MissAshliSixx
Summary: Three Melbourne girls who find their way into going on tour with their favourite band, Short Stack. NOTE: this story won't be continued due to personal reasons and the fact that I'm not as into the band as I used to be. thanks to everyone who stuck by.
1. Chapter 1

**Being expelled…it can change everything**

_Five months after we started out band Hush Hush._

Sophia, Lauren and I tagged the wall at our school after they suspended us for flipping off and being rude to our teacher after she, not us, said how we were nothing but useless troublemakers. Then of course, the school found out about us tagging the wall and expelled us. Our parents were very angry with us because, in my case, they thought I was a good little teenager who did all her homework and got straight A's. I was grounded for six months but one day, Sophia text me (the 'rents hadn't taken my phone) and said that she and Lauren were leaving home. Obliging, I packed all my stuff into a suitcase, grabbed my bass and at midnight, I snuck out. We met up at a park and took a cab into the city where our favourite band, Short Stack, were playing. After the show, we snuck around the back of the building where they left the venue. As they exited, they saw us; three seventeen year old girls, lugging around suitcases and guitars.

"What are you guys doing?" Shaun asked, surprised, taking in our ragged figures.

"We came to find you," I whispered, shrugging.

"Guys, we know you're big fans and stuff but, we don't exactly know who you are," Bradie said calmly for their hired bodyguard/security guy had appeared behind us.

"I'm sorry ladies," the guard said. "This is a restricted area."

"Please," Lauren whispered, "even if we have to go home. Just let us have one minute with them." I could see the fake tears in her eyes as she glanced from one band-member to the other. "Please?" Sophia repeated. The guard rose his eyebrows at the band and they all sighed.

"I guess we can give you a minute." Andy locked eyes with me and I could see a small smile pulling at his mouth.

"Thankyou!" I gasped. They led us back into the building and into their dressing room. Sitting down on one of the two, we'd gazed at eachother before Shaun spoke.

"What're you here for?" He asked softly, but not rudely. I explained reluctantly and once I'd finished, they stared at us with new interest.

"Just one second," Shaun said and gathered Andy and Bradie together to talk. Lauren, Sophia and I looked at eachother. We were in the same room as Short Stack. It was like our wildest dreams.

"They've been through a lot…It's not like we can let them…" I heard Bradie mutter. A second later, they returned to their seats. Andy cleared his throat and explained.

"We would like you three to come on our tour with us. We'll be doing a few concerts around Australia. If it's okay with you guys, we want you to come with us." We stared, wide eyed at our heroes.

"You're kidding, right? Someone pinch me," I whispered. Lauren reached out absentmindedly and pinched my upper arm. "Ouch! I didn't mean literally!" She ignored my protest and pulled Sophia and I into a circle.

"This is totally a dream!" Sophia exclaimed, shaking her head.

"Definitely. There's no way we can do it!" Lauren commented.

"C'mon guys. We're Hush, Hush! We can do anything together," I motivated, looking between my friends. Lauren started to say something in response to my input when I looked over my shoulder to see if any of Short Stack were listening in. Shaun and Bradie were talking in hushed voices and as my eyes passes over Andy, my heart started to beat faster. He was gazing at me, a smile on his lips. I rose an eyebrow and grinned impishly. Andy had always been my favourite.

"We should do it," I said impulsively, turning back to the others. "It's not like we're ever gonna get chance like this again." Sophia and Lauren bit their lips and nodded.

"Okay," Sophia said. "Let's do it." As we sat back into the couch, I spoke up.

"Okay, well we've thought about what you have said and we want to come on tour with you." There was a small part of me that doubted this was real and they were being serious about asking us on tour. Anything had to be better than going home to my parents.

"You can stay the night with us then," Bradie said. "We leave for the studio tomorrow morning so there's no point in you going home."

"Not that we want to," I muttered quietly. My two friends nodded at my comment whereas Short Stack looked confused.

"Hey, we don't know your names," Andy said as we stood up.

"Well, I'm Ashli, or Andy," I started.

"I'm Sophia, or Bradie."

"And I'm Lauren, or Shaun."

"I guess you're fans, huh?" Shaun laughed as they led us out of the room.

"Kind of," Lauren replied, sidling up beside him and starting to talk. Bradie and Sophia were in an animated conversation, leaving Andy and I practically alone.  
"So, I guess you liked me the best?" he asked after a second, falling into step beside me. I was thankful when we stepped outside into the darkness, lit only by street-lights. The dark was like a safety blanket to me.

"Well…I guess so. I always related to you more."

"How?"

"I play bass in our band, I kind of have the same clothes as you, we have the same sense of humour. Just general stuff," I replied. We arrived at the tour van.

"We'll be meeting everyone tomorrow but for now, it's just us and Sam." Shaun pointed to the bodyguard while addressing all of us. He opened the back for us and we climbed in, piling our suitcases in the corner. In the back sat Shaun and Lauren. In the middle sat Andy and I and in the front – driving – was Bradie and Soph. Sam had his own car and drove along behind us. As we set off, I found that I wasn't as nervous as I always thought I would be when meeting my favourite band…and that Andy had moved over one seat to sit beside me. We were silent for what seemed like ages.

"What music do you listen to?" he asked, breaking the painful silence.

"Uh…Short Stack, My Chemical Romance, All Time Low, Nirvana, Green Day, 80s music, the old Silverchair, Boys Like Girls and Paramore. I think that's it." He smiled and laughed softly to himself. "What?" I asked defensively.

"Nothing," he answered. Yawning I stretched and closed my eyes for a second. In that second, my head tilted and rest on Andy's shoulder. I shot back up and glared at the headrest in front of me. Andy laughed again and moved one seat over. He unbuckled my seat belt and pulled me along so I was resting against him, legs curled up on the seat beside me. I was frozen with shock and could barely comprehend what was happening. He started to hum the tune to 'Back of My Head' and slowly, I found myself drifting into unconsciousness.

"Ashli? Ashli, wake up!" I could hear Sophia calling me softly. Groggily, I opened my heavy lids and sat up. I was in a hotel room, in a double bed, the sheets twisted round me. My two friends sat on the edge of the bed, watching on.

"Where the heck am I?" I whispered, gazing around.

"You, Ashli," Lauren said. "Are in Andrew Clemmensen's bed." Last night's memories started to come flooding back. I jumped off the bed and because I was caught in the sheets, I fell and landed on my butt on the floor. My friends cracked up laughing as I angrily flicked away the bedding.

"No shit," I muttered, standing up. Grabbing their hands, I towed them out of the room. We entered a dining room / living room where Shaun and Bradie were milling around. They looked up as we walked in and smiled.

"Hey. Nice sleep?" Bradie asked, spooning some Corn Flakes into his mouth. I nodded and looked down at myself. I realised that I was wearing the same clothes I had been yesterday. Seeing my look of confusion, Shaun explained.

"Andy carried you up last night and put you to bed," he said. My eyebrows shot up to my hairline.

"He slept with me?" I asked, incredulous.

"No, no! He slept on the couch," Shaun laughed, walking over and patting my shoulder. "Though I'm sure you'd rather have him sleep in the bed." Lauren slapped his arm and glared.

"Shaun," she hissed. "Stop it!" He grinned and went back to the couch where he had been watching MTV.

"Want some cereal?" Bradie asked, offering his bowl from the dining table. Shrugging I picked a spoon off the table and stole some of his breakfast. He looked over at his phone while I shrugged and dumped my spoon into the sink. I wasn't hungry. Lauren had gone to sit with Shaun and Soph was perched on the seat next to Bradie's. Smiling slightly, I went back to my (Andy's) bedroom and went into the bathroom. I looked scary. My black eyeliner was smudged around my eyes and my hair was almost sticking up on end. Running the shower and locking the door, I stripped off and entered the hot water. I savored the feel of it running over my skin for a second, then washed my hair. When I turned off the taps and wrapped myself in a fluffy white towel, I felt better. My suitcase was resting against the wall next to the door and I pulled it to lie on the ground. Unzipping it, I rummaged through until I found my purple skinny jeans and black t-shirt. I pulled them on and fixed my hair in the mirror. Tying it into a loose ponytail, I applied some black eyeliner, mascara and foundation. Once I looked okay, I went back into the bedroom to find Andy sitting on the bed, watching the free Foxtel. He looked up as I walked in.

"Hi," he greeted me, smiling. I waved awkwardly and sat on the opposite side of the bed to put on my socks.

"Hi. Look, I'm sorry about you sleeping on the couch. I would've slept there," I said, grimacing slightly when I thought about how my favourite person in the world had slept on a couch for me.

"That's alright. I didn't want to wake you up. Plus anyway, it wasn't that bad." I glanced at him, a skeptical look on my face.

"Why?"

"Because I got to raid the fridge." Grinning, I shook my head. "By the way, we've got to get going in about five minutes if we want to make it to the studio in time."

"Okay, well I'm ready anyway," I replied, gesturing down at myself. He nodded and stood up, stretching. "I'll go get them if you want?" He grinned appreciatively.  
"Thanks." Smiling back, I disappeared into the other room.

"Guys, we have to go in about four minutes. So, get moving," I announced, jumping onto the edge of the kitchen bench. They all looked up at me with curiosity.

"Did Andy tell you to say that? What did he give you? A kiss?" Shaun quipped, grinning stupidly.

"What the hell? I would never, ever, stoop that low, Shaun! What in heck are you taking?" Angrily, I slipped off the counter and stormed into my bedroom.

"What's up?" Andy asked, sensing my rage.

"Shaun, is what's up." As I sat on the bed, he moved across to sit next to me.

"What did he do THIS time?"

"He's just…assuming things. Many things."

"Like what?" My eyebrows pulled together.

"He said that…I told them that we had to leave and he said 'Did Andy tell you to say that? What did he give you? A…kiss?' " The boy's brow creased with anger and annoyance. Then after a second, it smoothed out to normal.

"Do you want me to kiss you?" his voice was soft as he looked into my eyes.

"Uh…well…I don't exactly…know you. I mean, I know who you are and all that but I don't know you. I'm sorry." He pulled back a little, slightly hurt.

"That's fine," he said nonchalantly.

"I think we have to go," I whispered after a few seconds. He got up and disappeared out the door. I heard his voice ringing through the hotel rooms.

"We're leaving now so if you're not ready, then too bad!" My fingers reached up to touch my thumping heart. Did that really just happen? I wondered, taking a deep breath. "Are you coming?" Andy asked from the door. Nodding quickly, I ducked into the bathroom, packed all of my stuff and came back out, suitcase in tow. Andy did something then, that I would never forget. He took my hand and pulled me into the other room. Everyone, as usual, looked up as we walked in. Their eyes almost popped out of their heads when they saw my hand clasped in Andy's. Sophia dropped her glass of water and as it his the floor, shattered into a million pieces. Hurrying forward, I helped her pick up the pieces of glass that littered the tiles.

"What the heck are you doing?" she hissed.

"What do you mean?" I asked, following her into the kitchen.

"What are you doing with Andy?"

"Oh. Well…uh…I don't know. He just…took my hand," I replied, throwing glass into the bin.

"Ash, you know he's four years older than you!" Growing annoyed, I huffed.

"Yes, I know that! And why would you care?"

"Because it's not going to end well! I don't want to see you get hurt. You and Lauren are the only two I have left. I can't lose any one of you." Her words were true and bit me harshly.

"If you haven't noticed, I'm in the exact same situation here! None of this is my fault!" I pointed through the one-way glass at Andy. "If you and Bradie want to be a little more than friends I'm not going to say anything about it! You only think me and Andy is a bad idea because he's older than me! Or you're just jealous!" Malice suddenly glittered in her eyes. So quickly, I didn't see it happening, her hand came up and slapped me sharply on my left cheek. I stumbled back, shocked. The slap brought tears to my eyes and they slowly trickled out onto my cheeks. My hand was plastered to my face, my mouth gaping.

"Ash, I'm sorry I – " Not caring what she had to say, I spun around and ran out of the kitchen, wiping tears from my eyes. As I entered the living room, I saw Lauren trembling, Shaun, Bradie and Andy staring at me. Walking over to Andy, I saw his eyes shift to my cheek. When I reached up to wipe a stray tear, I saw my hand come away with bright red blood. Staring dumbly at it, I realised that her blow had given me a nose bleed. Coming back to reality with a snap, I ran into my bathroom and locked the door.

"Ashli!" I heard Lauren call from outside. My eyes lingered on the door handle for a moment then slowly, moved up to the mirror, over my stomach, chest, neck and finally, my head. I gasped as my eyes settled on my face. My mascara had run and was smeared over my cheeks. What startled me more was the bright red trail running from my nose to my mouth. Some of the blood had snaked around my lips and trickled into the corner of my mouth, making me endure the coppery taste. Pulling a line of toilet paper from the roll, I plastered it to my nose and watched as a blossom of red appeared on the paper.

"Ash!" Lauren called again. "Please let me in." She madly jiggled the handle. Giving in, I cautiously walked over and flicked off the lock. She burst through the door and behind her shoulder, I could see Andy lingering in the doorway. Quickly, she shut the door and regarded me with sympathetic eyes. "Oh, Ash." She sat me down on the edge of the bath and grabbed a new line of toilet paper. She ran it under the tap and wrung it out, then came at me. She wiped away all traces of blood and makeup, making sure my nose did not bleed anymore.

"Thankyou," I whispered once she had finished. She just smiled and led me back into where everyone else was standing around. Sophia was leaning against the back of the couch, arms crossed and glaring at the floor. Shaun, Bradie and Andy were conversing in the corner of the dining room.

"We can go now," Lauren announced, walking forward. I practically hid behind my friend out of embarrassment. When we got into the van, we had the same seating arrangements as the night before, except that I sat as far away from Andy as possible. He looked a little confused, his brow scrunched. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and I fished it out with an impending sense of dread. Unwillingly, I peered at the screen. 'Home' it read. My heart beat ten times faster in my chest. Of course they would find out I was missing. Bringing the phone up to my ear, I pressed the green button and listened.

"Where the hell are you?" Came my mother's harsh voice. "Where are you!?" she asked again.

"I'm with friends," I replied quietly, aware of the people listening to me.

"You better come home now, young lady. Or we're enrolling you in a boarding school. You've caused us too much trouble lately."

"And what about me?!" I exploded. "You couldn't care less about what happened to me! You're the reason I'm causing trouble! You don't understand me like everyone else does! Don't expect me to come home any time soon. I'd hate to disappoint you." With that, I hung up and glared at the flashing screen until my rage subsided.

"Are you okay?" Lauren asked cautiously, leaning over the back of my seat.

"Yes," I growled through gritted teeth. "I'm fine." She bit her lip and disappeared into the back again. From then on, I was silent for the car ride, listening to conversation and the radio between short bursts of sleep. When we arrived at the studio, I was the first one out of the car, and onto the pavement, followed by Andy, Bradie, Sophia, Shaun then Lauren. They collected their instruments from the back then we took ours to practice. As we walked up to the front door of the studio, there were a few cries of 'Oh my God, it's Short Stack!' and a few fangirls running up to us and posing with the boys for photos. The rest of us stood on the sidelines, watching as our new friends graciously signed various items and posters. Finally, after around ten minutes, we made it inside the studio. As we climbed a set of stairs and turned down a corridor, we made it into the spacious practice area.

"Hey, guys!" someone called from the corner. We looked up to see a forty-year-old man striding towards us.

"Hey, Marty!" Shaun exclaimed, shaking the man's hand.

"My favourite band! Who are these young ladies?" he gestured towards us.

"These are some of our fans, Hush Hush. They're Ashli, Sophia and Lauren." Bradie pointed to us in turn. "This is our tour manager and producer, Marty." We waved tentatively and shook his hand.

"Well, boys, it's time to practice. So get set up." He disappeared into another room and left them to set up their instruments. I started to strum the notes to Sway Sway Baby and murmur the lyrics. Sophia got to the drums first, banging out the rhythm in time with my playing. Lauren began to rip through the chords and before we knew it, we were moving with the music. I belted out the words in perfect key and with the perfect emotion. Short Stack were staring, dumbfounded.

"…We'll never let GO!" As I finished, I noticed Marty standing in the doorway, clearly shocked.

"Boys," he announced, "these ladies just executed your own song better than you have ever performed it." We all grinned impishly at the boys, teasing them.

"Believe me, we can do more." I mouthed the next song title to Soph and Lauren, counted them in and started to sing Ladies and Gentlemen. Shaun, an incredulous look on his face, took a breath and closed his eyes. As we finished that song also, Marty's surprised expression turned skeptical.

"Boys, I need to confer with you for a moment," he said, beckoning with a finger. They ambled over to their producer and conferred with eachother. Occasionally, they glanced back at us, an inquiring look in their eyes. Although they spoke for only a few minutes, we began to feel a certain buzzing in the air. It was like an electric current running through the atmosphere. When they returned, I could instantly tell they had good news.

"Well, ladies, we've decided something." Marty rubbed his hands together as he spoke. "You three are a band, am I right?" We nodded. "Good, you're going to be the support band at Short Stack's concert."


	2. Chapter 2

_Attack of the pissed off man next door _

"Are you guys ready?" Bradie asked, looking between Lauren, Sophia and I. It had been two days since our first meeting with Marty and we discovered that the boys had been practicing for the concert ages ago. We were going to play two of our original songs then Short Stack would take over. Tonight was the first concert though, and we were as nervous as hell.

"Yeah, I think we're okay," I said, grinning shakily. Shaun and Andy gave us sympathetic looks.

"It's not that bad," Shaun sympathised. "Once you start to perform, you don't give a shit if you muck up." We laughed and hugged eachother.

"Time to go," Lauren squealed and pulled away. Taking a deep breath, I led us onto the stage, placing my white bass around my neck, I strode up to the microphone.

"Hey, guys! How are you?" There was an uproar of screams and shouts. "That's good to hear. Well, we are Hush Hush and we will be playing you a couple of songs tonight! I'm Ashli, this is Sophia," I pointed to the drums, "and this is Lauren," I pointed to my other friend. I waited for the screams to die down a little before I introduced our song. "Our first song is called 'Heart Beat.' " I signalled for Sophia to count us in and began.

"_Your heart may beat, but you're not alive. You may be screaming and looking me in the eye. I can't hear your insistent cries. Baby, don't tempt fa-ate, nothing is gonna go your way,_"I sang, relaying all the emotion I could. The crowd bobbed like a sea repetitively. By the end, they were singing along with the chorus, their voices sticking together and soaring over eachother tunelessly. Their lyrics came out in cries; no tone put into them whatsoever. It didn't bother me though. When people yelled instead of sung, there was no way they could hold a tune. As we finished the first song, I heard people screaming for more, whooping and yelling.

"I think we have our first fans!" I exclaimed into the microphone, laughing. More screams came through the air, reaching my ears, making me laugh more. "Okay, this next song was written as a tribute to our favourite band," I glanced back at my friends, then at Short Stack who were standing behind the curtains. On a whim, I winked slyly at them and grinned. There were a few wolf-whistles from the crowd and I laughed again. Looking over my shoulder, I made sure Sophia and Lauren were ready, then counted them in. "_You caught our hearts and kept them close, never thought that we could mean something to you. You were high and we were low. We were black and you were white…_" As the song ended, I realised that Short Stack would have noticed that song we wrote for them. As I bid farewell the crowd, we left the stage with screams and cries echoing behind us. Shaun, Andy and Bradie chuckled as we walked towards them. We averted their gazes, a little embarrassed and overwhelmed.

"Your turn," I yelled over the pumping interlude music, finally looking up.

"We hope you still have fans," Lauren added, smiling innocently. Shaun rolled his eyes.

"Of course we still have fans," he said mock-arrogantly. "They're here because of us!" As they trooped on stage at their cue, they were first bombarded with screams and camera flashes, then the insistent cries of 'Hush Hush!' hit them. They stood on stage, shocked. Shaun recovered first, sidling up to the microphone.

"Hey guys! How are you all?" The screams got louder, if possible. "I'm guessing you liked the new chicks, huh? Well, if you're lucky they might come out and play a little more!" Backstage, we blanched. More? I was puffed after only two songs! There were screams of approval at their proposal and screams of disapproval. It looked like we didn't manage to lure the _entire_ crowd over to our 'dark side' as Andy later referred to it. As the boys got stuck into it, I snuck back to the dressing room to grab a drink, leaving Soph and Lauren dancing backstage. As I slipped through the door, I stood rooted to the spot. There were three sixteen-year-old girls riveting through the pockets of our clothes and bags.

"Hey!" I exclaimed. "What are you doing?" Their heads snapped up. One tall red-head who was holding a pair of Bradie's jeans sneered at me.

"What are _you_ doing?" she retorted.

"This is _my_ dressing room! What are you doing here?" I lay my hands on my hips.

"That's right! You're the girl from that shit band Hush Hush!" Another girl with blonde hair exclaimed, mock-enlightenment entering her tone.

"That doesn't answer my question." I was becoming annoyed. "Get out of our stuff before I call security."

"Try make us!" A short brunette laughed, arms akimbo.

"You know, you're thicker than you look!" I growled. All three were wearing fishnet stockings, mini-skirts and tank tops along with heavy makeup and Converse. I felt sorry for their poor shoes. No Converse runner should endure being on feet who belonged to those types of people.

"Look, Kara, we have a comedian here!" The blonde cooed to the redhead.

"Okay, if you don't tell me what the fuck you're doing in my dressing room, I'm telling security to get your slutty anorexic asses out of here," I threatened, snatching Bradie's jeans off the red-head. She snatched them back and hissed at me. The three girls laughed and glanced at eachother.

"We really didn't want to do this to such a pretty face," the brunette said. They began to close in on me, one of them blocking the door. The blonde was the first one to strike, punching me in the mouth. Her fist caught my piercing which was located just below the right of my lip. It began to bleed and she ripped out the stud. Blood bubbled out of the small hole and trickled down my chin. The brunette punched my stomach and sent me staggering against the wall. I fought back, slamming into the brunette, sending us both to the ground. I straddled her stomach and wrestled her so I stayed on top. The two other girls dragged me off their friend and shoved me against the wall. The red head punched my nose and cheek, striking the bone with enough force to bring tears to my eyes. They repeatedly kicked my legs and sides, laughing with eachother. After roughly three minutes, they left with – thankfully – none of our possessions. I was slumped against the wall, knees brought up to my chest. Usually I would've fought back. If there was only one of them. Small whimpering noises came from my chest and my shoulders hunched over my chest. A small trail of blood was coming from my nose and I could feel bruises forming on my cheekbones. My piercing was throbbing and I noticed that they tore more of the skin than I thought. I began to cry softly out of anger and pain. I hadn't cried in so long that it felt new to me. Hearing various clips of Short Stack's music made me feel a tiny bit better but I wondered if Sophia and Lauren noticed how long I had been gone for. During an interlude ten minutes later, they all came back into the dressing room, finding it ransacked and finding me huddled against the wall beside the door.

"Ashli!" Lauren cried, kneeling next to me. "What happened?" I hiccuped and wiped at my eyes then shook my head. Sophia had taken a place to the left of Lauren and Andy was crouching on Lauren's right.

"Please, you have to tell us what happened," Sophia pleaded, taking my hand. I snatched it off her. I still hadn't forgiven her for slapping me two days ago.

"Don't," I hissed weakly, despite the pain coursing through me. She stood abruptly and stepped back, hurt clear on her face. Bradie lay a hand on her shoulder and gave her a little smile.

"What happened?" Andy asked again.

"Three girls. They…were in here…looking through…our stuff. When I came in…they just…stopped and I talked to them…and they just…" My tears had filtered down to a trickle by now and were running over my bruised cheek. He manouvered one of his arms around my waist and with the other, he held my hand. Gradually, he helped me to my feet. I was leaning against him heavily, the pain in my ribs so intense I could barely stand on my own. He pulled me onto the couch in the corner and told Shaun to get the first aid woman. Shaun did as he was told and returned a minute later with May and David, the first aid workers. She and her partner, David, were at every show in case of medical emergencies.

"Okay sweetheart," she said gently. "I'm not going to ask you what happened if you don't want to tell me. I'm just going to fix your injuries." I managed a small smile and nodded. She reached into her kit and pulled out a small bottle of antiseptic cream and small patches. She squeezed a small dot of the cream onto a cotton swab and brought it closer to my lip. I winced as it came in contact. It sung and burned yet I tried not to show my pain. She also used a little on a cut across my eyebrow. She placed a square patch below my lip and a smaller one on my eyebrow. That would hurt when it came off. David checked my ribs and cheek for fractures and seemed satisfied when he found none.

"You should be fine now. As for your ribs, they'll heal up soon. Your cheek should be cleared of any bruising after about four to five days. If not, then go see a doctor," David said, peering over May's shoulder. I smiled gratefully at them both and watched as they made their way out the door.

"You're okay, right?" Andy whispered to me.

"I…I think so," I replied. He nodded and stood.

"I've got to go back on stage," he apologised, shrugging and smiling hopefully.

"I'll be fine," I assured him, "just go out there and win a few more hearts." He rolled his eyes and left with Shaun and Bradie in tow. There was an awkward silence between us three remaining people in the room.

"Look," Lauren began. I stood and swayed on the spot as the blood rushed from my head.

"No. I don't want you to ask anything about what happened. Okay?" They looked taken aback but nodded. "Good." With that, I turned and limped out the door. I knew I looked odd but I didn't care. I was there to support Short Stack, not wallow in my shock of being attacked by crazy fangirls. Standing by the curtain, I heard Shaun apologising for being late. He explained that a good friend had been bashed and needed their help. I smiled a little at that. They continued on with their music and at the end of the concert, did something that surprised me very much.

"Alright," Bradie began. "We want to know who went into our dressing room and beat up our friend." There was complete silence. It was almost like you could hear the crickets chirping. It was then I spied them. They were standing against the wall, heads bent together. Limping onto the stage, I heard people gasp and call out. The three sixteen-year-olds looked up simultaneously.

"I can see them," I whispered to Shaun. He looked confused for a moment then realisation dawned in his features. Pointing discreetly to the girls, he nodded and sidled up to the mic.

"Well I know who you guys look like now, so if I ever see you again, be sure to run." The three girl's heads snapped up and at the same time, they turned on their heels and pushed through the crowd to the back. They disappeared from view and I sighed. I told Shaun and he gave me a sympathetic look.

"Well everyone, thanks so much for being a great audience! We hope to see you again some time!" We trooped off stage and into the dressing room. Lauren and Sophia hushed as we walked in, looking at us innocently. Bradie yawned and stretched.

"I'm tired now, can we go back to the hotel?" he asked, flopping down onto the empty couch. I went and sat next to him and nudged him with my shoulder.

"Poor Bubbs, did you want to go sleepy-byes?" He looked sincere and nodded. I laughed and leant my head on his shoulder. Andy looked slightly jealous and came and sat by my left side. He slid his hand into mine and pulled me over so I was leaning on him instead of Bradie. Lauren and Shaun laughed as they caught sight of us and Bradie looked mock sad. Sophia though, was acting like I wasn't even there. I felt bad for pushing her away before, but she'd slapped me. Of all things you can do to a friend, slapping is the worst.

"We all ready to go?" Shaun asked, gathering up his stuff. We all said we were and cautiously made out way to the back of the building. As suspected, there were fans waiting for us outside the door. Andy, who had let go of my hand as we walked out, took hold of it again and squeezed it tightly. Sam helped us get through the mob and into the van where Andy was driving. We piled in with Andy and I in the front, Shaun and Lauren in the very back and Bradie and Sophia in the middle. We drove to the hotel in almost complete silence. When we got onto our floor we navigated our way through to the two-bedroom suite we shared. It was a massive room with a kitchen, dining room, living room and en suite bathroom. As we entered our room, I instantly made my way to the bathroom to clean myself up. There was no blood on my face but I looked like hell. A large black bruise was under my left eye and a scratch was planted along my right cheek. Wincing, I brought my hand up to prod the bruise. It stung like crazy and I bit my tongue to stop myself from crying out. There was nothing I could do to make myself look any cleaner so I ditched the idea of that and went back into the main living area. Shaun was relaxing on the couch, watching MTV with Lauren resting on the floor and Sophia, Bradie and Andy spread out on the remaining area of the couch. It seemed there was no more room for me, so I perched on the arm of the couch next to Shaun.

"What are you watching?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"Um…Best of EMA." Bradie answered, squinting to read the title in the top corner of the screen.

"It seems that Kylie Minogue had one of the sexiest acts," Shaun commented, listening to Justin Timberlake prattle on about the 'hoodie' that she wore.

"Kylie Minogue?!" I exclaimed. "She's no sexier than my grandma!" Everyone burst out laughing and Lauren suddenly jumped up.

"I have an idea!" she announced. "We are all going to go down to the nearest place that sells junk food and have fun. Okay?" We looked at her like she was a maniac but a flirtatious tug on Shaun's sleeve persuaded him to get up. We all trooped out after them, laughing and joking all the way into the street. The nearest shop was a block away so we began to walk straight away. My limp was getting more pronounced and everyone began to notice.

"Hey, you wanna rest for a moment?" Lauren asked, stopping in the middle of the path. People had to skirt around us to get where they were going.

"No," I smiled reassuringly. "I'm fine…I think." Andy rolled his eyes and dragged me over to a seat. He made me stand on it then turned around and pulled me onto his back. I laughed and wrapped my arms loosely around his neck and my legs around his waist. His hands were under my thighs, a little uncomfortable but not too bad. We began to walk again, whooping and laughing as we had little competitions and races. People were staring and gaping as we rounded the corner to 7-11. We entered the shop – with me still on Andy's back – and Lauren ran straight for the chocolate aisle. She grabbed six large bars of Toblerone and then ran to the freezer. Shaun beat her there, grabbing a jumbo tub of cookies and cream ice cream. We brought it up to the counter and paid for it. Sophia carried the bag back to the hotel and dumped it on the bench as we got back in. Andy now staggered over to the couch and gently stood me back up on my feet.

"Thanks," I laughed as I was set back on the ground. Andy grinned and started towards the food.

"No worries." Shaun was already pulling spoons out of the cutlery drawer to get at the ice cream. Lauren had two of the six Toblerones in a bowl and was bringing them over to the microwave.

"What are you doing?" Sophia asked, sitting on one of the stools. Lauren peered up at her from the other side of the bench.

"We, my dear friend, are making cookies and cream Toblerone. We're melting these then mixing it with the ice cream. So you," she said, pointing at Shaun and moving the container away, "are going to have to wait." He pouted and moved over to the TV area where I was still standing. He flopped onto the middle of the couch and pulled me down next to him. I laughed and put my feet up on the coffee table.

"Put it on channel [V]!" Sophia called, sitting on the floor. Shaun changed the channel and laughed. Ladies and Gentlemen was on. Andy and Bradie suddenly crashed into the back of the couch, right behind my head. I gasped and fell forward onto the floor. It was lucky I moved for that exact moment I hit the carpet Andy and Bradie were in my spot, wrestling. Scrambling backwards, I stood and gazed on at the two boys. Lauren was sitting on the counter, mixing the ice cream and melted Toblerones together. Shaun had joined the wrestling and was rolling around on the couch with the other two.

"Okay! Stuff's ready!" Lauren called, bringing the massive bowl and six spoons over. She placed it in the middle of the coffee table, dodging the boys. She dived onto Shaun, landing on his back and pinning him down. He laughed and rolled over and tipping her off. Sophia was pulling Bradie onto the couch and Andy looked at me expectantly. I grinned and sat next to him on the floor. Bradie reached out next to my head and plucked a spoon off the table. He scooped up a little of the ice cream and spooned it into his mouth. He grinned at us and took a little more. Sophia followed his example. Then Shaun, Lauren and Andy. I was a little reluctant at first but then, Andy brought a spoon full of the cold food to my lips.

"C'mon! Eat it!" he laughed, giving me a cheeky grin. I succumbed and opened my mouth. As soon as it hit my tongue, I was won over. It tasted really, really good. Grabbing my own spoon, I joined in. The TV was blaring a new song now; 'Shake it' by Metro Station. Shaun had begun dancing and singing stupidly and Lauren was pulling up Sophia like a toy. Bradie was sinking into the corner of the couch, thinking, 'I don't know these guys.' Andy got up and went over to the window. He laughed and beckoned me over. Standing next to him, I saw what he was looking at and chuckled. From the street below, I saw passers-by gazing up at our floor. We were silhouetted against the glass and a few people pointed at us. Andy – being Andy – decided he would make obscene gestures down at the people. They looked morally outraged and conferred with eachother before making a gesture or two back and walking off. We were practically on the floor, rolling around with laughter. We didn't care that the whole hotel could probably of heard the music. It was too much fun to worry about. We began to join in with the others, holding hands and going crazy. We went for about two hours until we got a complaint from the people next door. Graciously, Shaun turned the music down but then proceeded to swear loudly about the man who knocked on our door. He returned about ten seconds later, but instead of answering the door, we were silent and ignored him completely. His insistent knocking and calling out became annoying and I couldn't stop myself.

"Bloody teenagers! Respect your elders!" he shouted.

"Hey!" I yelled in the general direction of the door. "You must be a freaking idiot! Can't you tell we're ignoring you! No one respects their elders anymore! You brainless dumb-ass son of a – " Bradie clamped his hand over my mouth so my insult came out muffled. Glaring fiercely at him, I muffled something else into his hand. Sophia, Lauren, Andy and Shaun were rolling with laughter, clutching at their sides. The man became even more enraged.

"How dare you! I'm calling the manager! How dare you speak to an adult like that! I'll have you kicked out of the hotel!" he bellowed.

"Yeah, well do whatever you like! If anything, we're gonna tip you over the freaking balcony and see how much of an earthquake you cause!" I retorted, approaching the door and banging it with my fist.

"That's it! I didn't think I would have to do this! I'm calling the police! You inconsiderate teenagers!" He kept calling out random threats while all the same, I insulted and swore at him. After about five minutes, I heard the man muffle something to another man. I peered through the little peephole and silenced everyone with a wave of my hand. Sam had appeared in my line of vision and was conversing with our complainer. He was slowly moving the man back to his room, assuring him about something. Finally, I broke. I sank to the ground, shaking with laughter. Everyone joined me, doubling over and hooting with amusement. Suddenly, we heard another knock on the door. Wiping tears from my eyes, I looked through the hole and but my lip. Sam was standing outside the door, a perfect picture of rage. Turning back to everyone else, I felt my eyes open wider. They all silenced a little. Reluctantly, I opened the door. Sam had his arms crossed and barged past me into the room.

"What are you thinking?!" he exclaimed, glaring at all of us in turn. "You've already been attacked today! Do you want to be put in jail too?" he threw a hand towards me. Feeling defensive, I shoved my arms across my chest.

"Its not like what I do is going to change anything! Plus anyway, since when did you become my legal guardian?" I glared at him as I spoke. A muscle in his neck jumped and he started towards me. Not wanting to look afraid, I stood my ground and didn't move one bit.

"You're here as a guest, not as a privilege. From now on, you are going to have a two-metre penalty. If you come within two metres of any one of these boys, you're going to be charged! Seeing as you've caused all of the trouble here!" I'd never though Sam would be so…parental.

"You're not the freaking boss of me! I'm seventeen! I can do what I want!" Sophia and Lauren were gaping at me, aghast. Shoving past Sam, I threw open the door and went into the hallway, slamming it behind me.

"Stupid mother fuckers!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as I stormed off towards the elevators. I had no clue where I was going. I just had to get away


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I just wanted to say thankyou to Emxxx who gave me my first review. Thankyou so much and I hope you like the next chapters…

Fangirls…don't you just love 'em?

It turns out that there was an outdoor meeting area on the top level. There was a short stone barrier skirting the area and I perched dangerously on it, legs hanging off the edge of the hotel. From there I could see the whole city. Momentarily, I'd forgotten which city I was in. Then I remembered; Melbourne. My home. Sadly, Short Stack had to play three concerts in Melbourne and had only performed two out of the three so far. There were lights glinting in every direction I turned. It looked magical against the dark night sky. Suddenly, I heard the elevator doors slide open. My head whipped around and I teetered dangerously on the wall. Andy emerged from the lift, holding a grey hoodie. He smiled awkwardly and began to walk towards me. I turned back to the city. He came and stood a metre away to the right of me.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his voice soft.

"What are _you _doing? You're not supposed to be within two metres of me. You heard Sam," I hissed, not looking at him. "Obviously I'm a bad influence." Andy laughed humourlessly.

"If anything we're a bad influence on you. Considering we're older."

Reaching up, I ripped off the patch that concealed my torn piercing. It hurt like hell and began to bleed. "Hey!" Andy called, moving forward. "What'd you do that for?" I let the blood run down my chin.

"I like the pain," I said simply. When he reached out to me, I moved away. "Don't," I spat. We were silent for what seemed like years until Andy spoke.

"When you screamed, who was that meant for?" he asked, leaning against the wall. I laughed once, without any humour.

"You heard that, huh?"

"I think the whole hotel did."

"It was meant for Sam, the idiot who knocked on our door, my parents. Everyone."

"Me?" I looked at him skeptically.

"Not you." He looked mildly satisfied. "Though don't start asking me for favours. I don't do favours unless I owe them."

"Could you at least turn around? You're putting me on edge. No pun intended." Shaking my head stubbornly, I stayed put.

"I don't owe you anything." He seemed a little put out at my sudden change in moods.

"Okay, well if you're not going to do that for me, at least put on this," he said, holding out the grey hoodie. I didn't recognise it but then realised that it would've been his. I must admit, I was only in a t-shirt and pair of black skinny jeans and was shivering with the cool breeze that accompanied the night. Shaking my head again, I refused his offer. Defeated, he lay the jumper on one of the many small tables. He came and sat on the wall but instead of his legs hanging off the edge, he was safely with his back to the rest of the city.

"Why do you piss off everyone you talk to?"

"I don't know. I guess I like the attention." Andy looked thoughtful.

"Why did you really tag that wall? Seriously, a teacher can't get you that pissed."

"What is this? Twenty questions?"

"Just answer it."

"I'm not telling you."

"Secret?"

"Yes. How'd you know I'd be here?" Andy thought for a moment.

"Lauren told me that you liked to be high up when you were angry. It's a little weird if you ask me."

"Well, I am weird. I think I'll have that hoodie now," I said, wrinkling my nose. My hands had subconsciously begun rubbing my arms. Reaching forward, Andy plucked it off the table and handed it to me. I pulled it over my head – avoiding the blood – and stuck my arms in the sleeves. Frowning down at the oversized jumper, I folded the bottom of it into my stomach.

"I'm tired. I don't want to go back to the room though," I yawned, stretching.

"I think you're gonna have to."

"Says who?" I said curtly. Bringing my knees up to my chest, I swiveled round so I was safely back on the roof. "I can sleep up here. No one will miss me." A wicked light entered his eyes.

"Are you sure? Look, I don't think anyone would still be up. They're all probably in bed or passed out on the couch." It was sad but true.

"Alright. Fine." We slipped off the wall and went back down to our floor. Luckily Andy had snatched up the key-card or we wouldn't have been able to get in. It was dark inside with only the kitchen light on. Lauren and Sophia were in bed, Shaun and Bradie were in bed. Seeing as we only had two rooms, us three girls had to share and the three boys had to share.

"I don't think I can stay in there," I whispered, pointing towards my room. Andy agreed with an incline of his head. "Well, where do we sleep?" It seemed to be the most obvious question of the hour. The hour being 3:30 in the morning.

"No freaking idea." Andy – being Andy – was not courteous enough to whisper. He talked at normal volume, which was actually fairly loud.

"Well, Genius, isn't that helpful?" He chuckled softly and took my hand, sending a shock through my body. He led me over to the couch and sat down. Settling next to him, I eyed the now empty bowl of Toblerone ice cream.

"I think I've mucked everything up," I whispered, moving a little closer to him. "Really, I've been beaten and it's not even a week into your tour. That reminds me, I really should get all this blood off of my face." Feeling my way to the bathroom, I flicked on the light and carefully cleaned all the dried blood off – even the small bit that had found its way to my collarbone. Discovering a first aid kit, I dug out a new patch and applied it over my wound. Once I looked relatively okay, I went back into the living room. Andy had the TV on and was watching Family Guy. He had the sound on normal so not only could we hear it, I'm sure everyone else could too. Reaching forward, I plucked the remote out of his hand and turned it down so only we could hear it. As I sat next to him again, I let out a sigh of exhaustion.

"You know back in that other hotel when we met you?"

"Yeah," I replied.

"The kitchen didn't have one way glass."

"Oh, shit," He pulled me a little closer so I was resting against him and suddenly, I was more than happy to let unconsciousness to pull me into its unbreakable grasp.

I woke to the sound of laughing. Of course. As I gradually peeled open my eyes, I saw I was lying on someone's lap. As I looked up, I saw it was Andy. I sat bolt upright and looked around. Shaun and Lauren were sitting at the table, pissing themselves laughing. Sophia and Bradie would still be in bed. They slept like cats.

"What's so funny?" I mumbled, rubbing sleep from my eyes. They pissed themselves even more and I swear Lauren fell off her chair. No joke.

"You…you're…we-wearing…" Lauren began to say but erupted into another fit of laughter.

"What's wrong with what I'm we-wearing, Lauren?" I was leaning back on the couch, still sleepy.

"…You're…wearing An-Andy's jumper!" Lowering my eyes to my stomach, I blanched. Of course they would think it wasn't how it looked.

"Okay, you sick minded…I don't know if I can even call you people. Anyway, Andy brought a jumper out to me last night. No, this morning, and I was cold. There's absoloutly nothing between us," Shaun began to cackle again so I stood up and waltzed serenely up to him.

"Shauny?" I asked sweetly. He gazed up at me with surprise. "It's not what it looks like!" I yelled. He flinched back and began laughing again. Giving up, I gravitated towards the kitchen. There was literally nothing to eat…except Toblerone. It was too early in the…wait, scratch that. As I checked the clock I began to peel the wrapper of the Toblerone. It was 2:45 p.m. Venturing back into the lounge, I discovered that Sophia and Bradie had decided to make an appearance. I remembered what Andy told me last night: _The kitchen didn't have one way glass_. Well, that was embarrassing. Even though I hadn't forgiven Sophia, it's not like I was going to hold a grudge against her for the next twenty years. I promised myself that I would _try_ and be good. Andy was up and leaning against the edge of the dining table. He grinned as I walked in. Lauren snatched the Toblerone out of my hand and broke off a piece or two. Shaun did the same, followed by Sophia, Bradie and then, to my disappointment, Andy.

"Sorry, Babe," he said apologetically. Rolling my eyes, I grabbed the Toblerone back from Lauren who had tried to sneak another piece. There was one triangle left. Biting my lip, I pulled it out and inspected it. Shaun ran forward and pinched it from my fingers.

"Hey!" I exclaimed, laughing. It was too late; he'd already put it in his mouth. I set off after him, racing around the living room. Finally, I got him close to the couch and tackled him. He went down under me, taking hold of my waist. He twisted me around so I was against the back of the couch and he was pushed against me.

"She's not your babe," Shaun said. "She's mine." With that, he planted a kiss on the end of my nose. Sighing, I pushed him off the edge of the couch and climbed over the back of it.

"No," Bradie burst out, "she's mine!" He ran towards me dramatically, arms thrown out to the side of him. Andy tackled him, sending the both of them to the ground. Sophia smacked the palm of her hand against her forehead and Lauren didn't look at all bothered. She was leaning against the counter, arms crossed and looking slightly bored. Scratching my temple, I started towards them yet was bombarded by a flying mass named Andy. He'd pushed me onto an armchair and kissed the very corner of my lips.

"No. She's mine." I was too shocked to do anything but stay still, eyes roaming Andy's face. He grinned cheekily and got up. I scrambled to my feet after him. Lauren was gaping at me, eyes wide whereas Sophia was averting my gaze deliberately. Bradie was leaning against a wall, rubbing his hand along his jaw. Shaun, however, was chuckling softly to himself while making eyes at us.

"Uh…I'm-I'm going to go…out," I stammered and made a break for the door. No one said a word and let me go. Once out in the hall, I leant against the door and squeezed my eyes shut. Suddenly, to the right of me, another door opened and the man from the other night strode from his room.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, taking in my distraught figure. "You're the girl from the other night aren't you?"

"Fuck off," I hissed at him, twisting my mouth into a sneer. He huffed and glared at me before waddling off towards the elevators. Just as the doors were sliding open, I ran towards him and slipped in before he could object. He glared again at me and after sighing theatrically, pressed the button for his floor. We rode in silence until we came two floors from his destination.

"Bloody teenagers," he muttered. "Never gonna do any good in this world."

"Hey!" I snapped. "You don't know shit about teenagers, got it?"

"I'll have you know, that every adult you talk to was once a young adult too." He gave me a look that my father gave me whenever I pissed him off. Needless to say I got that look a lot.

"Pfft! It's not like you show it."

"Here's a tip that might do you some good. Respect your elders. If you're lucky you might get somewhere." Angrily, I kicked him in the back of his knees. He stumbled and sank to one knee.

"Here's a tip," I mimicked. "Don't piss me off. I might just light your room. You never know." He looked mildly surprised and as he got to his feet, the doors slid open. I ducked out and ran out into the foyer at full pelt. Running towards the doors, I shoved them open and entered the warm, sweet December day. With no intentions of going anywhere, I wandered aimlessly around the streets, going into random CD and book stores. As I went into Dangerfield, I saw something that made my heart sink. Short Stack fangirls. They were blonde, slutty and wearing flimsy Short Stack singlets. As I strode in, they eyed my black skinnys and jumper, the hood flipped over my head. I admit, I was kind of boiling and went straight for the shorts. It was then the whispers started. They were really soft at first but then began to turn into shouts and insults. The five of them giggled as one of them made a very immature joke about me. When I turned to face them and pushed back my hood, they gasped.

"You're the girl. The one from their concert!" One of the shortest girls exclaimed.

"Yeah," I smiled charmingly. "So stop pissing me off." They all made 'ugh' noises and trooped out of the shop, brining with them an unwanted sense of claustrophobia. The teen at the cash register rose an eyebrow at me and I shrugged. She smiled and gestured me over kindly. Dodging around racks, I approached her gingerly.

"Hi," she smiled warmly. "I, uh, heard you played with Short Stack." I smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, that's me and my band. What can I do?"

"Well," she looked a little embarrassed, "I really liked your music and I was wondering if you could, you know, sign something for me?"

"Sure!" I laughed, taking the marker she held out to me. "What do you want me to sign?" She held up her iPhone and pointed to the back of it. Obliging, I scribbled out my signature and grinned at her.

"That okay?" She nodded eagerly and bit her lip.

"If it's okay would I also be able to have a photo with you? My friend will be so jealous!" I agreed to that too and after a photo, I let her attend to a customer. I ventured through to the shorts again and pulled a pair of torn grey denim cut-offs from the rack. I also found a nice torn pair of acid-wash skinny jeans. Bringing them over to a changing room, I tried on the shorts first. They came to my mid-thigh and looked pretty good. The jeans, though, I fell in love with. They were ripped at the knees, thigh and calf. Thankfully, both were cheap so I could afford to buy something else. I found a jacket quite like the one Andy wore in Sweet December and tried it on, only to find it fit perfectly. Bringing all my wares to the register, I smiled at the teen.

"Just this thanks," I said, pulling my wallet out of my back pocket. She grinned and packed it all into a bag.

"That's $32.50," she chirped, handing me a bag with my purchases inside. I handed her the exact cash and left the shop. My phone began to vibrate in my pocket and I dug it out as I walked down the street.

"Hey," I said into the mobile.

"Hey, yourself," Lauren replied angrily.

"What's up?" I asked, crossing the street.

"The time is up!" she exclaimed.

"Why, what time is it?"

"It's three thirty! We're supposed to be at the concert venue in an hour!" She sounded truly worried.

"Lozza, don't worry. I'm literally a minute away. I'll be there soon!"

"Fine!" With that, she hung up. Laughing, I shoved the phone back into my pocket and turned a corner. I could see a crowd of people, no, teenagers, standing outside the hotel. _Oh, shit!_ I thought, pulling my hood back over my head. As I made my way over to the throng, I heard the cries of 'Short Stack!' echoing through the street. It took a few tries but I finally got to the front of the crowd. Sam and another guard were standing in front of the door, stopping the crazed fans from getting in.

"Hey! No one's allowed in!" Sam yelled at me, holding a hand in front of the door.

"Sam, you ass! It's me!" I exclaimed, pushing my hood back a little. Something flickered in his eyes and he stepped aside to let me in. I ran for the elevators as I got inside, slamming the button with the palm of my hand. As I stepped inside the lift, I pressed the button multiple times with my fist. As I reached my floor, I pelted down the hall. When I reached my room, I thumped on it with my fist. Sophia answered it, pulling me inside the room.

"There…are…fans…waiting…for you!" I panted, bracing my hands on my knees and gasping for air. Short Stack nodded.

"We know," Bradie said. "There is no way we can get out the front now." As I got a drink and put my purchases away, I heard everyone conversing in the dining room. When I got back, Andy was leaning against the bench, looking pissed off.

"What's wrong?" I asked, taking a seat next to Bradie.

"Nothing," Lauren replied quickly, cutting off whatever Shaun was about to say next.

"We really should get going," Andy said, leaving me confused. We all agreed and went into our respected rooms to grab our things. Quickly changing into my new shorts and a black v-neck t-shirt. The rest, I folded and put away. I pulled on a pair of battered white Converse and tucked the laces into the sides. Sophia, Lauren and I all went back into the living room, instruments in tow. The boys were already there, talking with Sam who had just arrived.

"…Underground parking," Sam was saying, arms crossed.

"What's happening?" Sophia asked, turning to Bradie.

"We're going through the underground parking," Shaun explained.

"It's the only way to get out of here alive," Andy added quietly. Grinning, I leant heavily against the back of the couch.

"We leaving then?" I asked innocently. Sam nodded.

"I just gotta do one more thing before I go," I said, moving towards the coffee table. There was a notepad and pen that I snatched up. There, I wrote a kind note to the man who knocked on our door.

_Dear jumped-up man from next door,_

_This is your new friend. I would just like to say Thankyou for making my stay next door to you as pleasant and enjoyable as possible. Please note that I have not apologised. This is because you are a stuck-up, tight ass, dog-ugly son of a bitch. We shall all hope we never meet again in the near or distant future. _

_Kind regards,_

_The 'bloody' teenager from next door. _

As I finished, I slipped out into the hallway and slid the note under the man's door. I just prayed that he hadn't arrived back yet.

"Ash! What are you doing?" I heard Lauren called from inside. As I ventured back into the room, I rose an eyebrow at her.

"I was outside," I replied, crossing my arms.

"I don't want to know?"

"That would be best," I admitted.

"Okay, well we have to go now to hurry up," she shrugged.

"God, you're almost worse than my mother." Lauren laughed and pulled me into a half-hug. "Well, it was SUPPOSED to be an insult! Now I think I'm the only one who ended up insulted," I grumbled, hugging her back.

"Ready to go?" Sam asked, moving towards the door. We all glanced at eachother and nodded. He motioned for us to follow him and we picked up our suitcases, wandering out after him. When we got to the lobby, I saw that the crowd had grown. Stupidly, Shaun strode up to the window that stretched along the length of the building. The screaming erupted again, girls jumping and – seriously – crying. It was then I spotted her. The girl from Dangerfield.

"Sam!" I called. "Just wait one minute!" I didn't wait for his reply but strode over next to Shaun. "There's a girl I met today. She really loves you guys. Is it okay if they let her in?" I practically yelled in his ear. He nodded and grinned. Spotting the girl again, I waved to get her attention and motioned for her to move to the front of the crowd. She did so but was stopped by the two guards. I ran towards them.

"It's okay! She's with me!" I told them, taking her hand. They stepped aside to let her in.

"Hi!" she said, smiling. Her black hair was ruffled and her t-shirt was torn.

"Hey. You remember me right?" She nodded.

"Yeah. The singer from Hush Hush. I'm Brianna by the way."

"Well, I'm Ashli…and this, Brianna, is Short Stack." I took her hand again and led her towards the elevators where the boys were waiting, smiling from ear to ear. She gasped as she saw them and stared at me with disbelief. Short Stack took in her black Converse, red skinny jeans, now torn t-shirt and multiple ear piercings then smiled more.

"Hey," Shaun smiled. "How are you?"

"I think I've just died. Can I hug you?" Grinning at the boys, I rose an eyebrow. Shaun moved forward with his arms outstretched. Brianna hugged each of the boys in turn, pausing slightly longer in Bradie's arms, much to Sophia's annoyance.

"Oh my God!" Brianna turned to us. "I can't believe I'm like the first person to personally meet you guys. Am I right?" Lauren smiled at her.

"You're right. And just for that we're gonna give you a special mention when our album comes out," she said, shrugging nonchalantly. Our new fan blanched and grinned madly.

"Thankyou all so much! I swear I'm going to faint!" She said excitedly.

"Yeah, we have that effect on people," Shaun admitted arrogantly.

"Look, we're going to have to leave now," Sam told Bri on his return from bringing our bags and instruments down to the car park.

"Please, can I just get a few photos?" she pleaded, pushing her hands together. Sam nodded and motioned for her to proceed. Bri asked if I could take photos and I took her signed iPhone from her outstretched hand. Lauren shoved all of the boys into a group with Brianna in the middle. I took a few of those photos then individual ones. Then she wanted photos with us and of course, we gladly obliged. Once we were snapshot, Sam led Bri back into the crowd who swarmed around her like bees to honey. We were ushered into the elevator and slowly sank down to the car park level. As we filed out, there was a flurry of colours and screams.

"Oh, fuck!" Sophia cried, shrinking back into the lift. Sam gently pushed through the crowd to make way for us. Andy took my hand and smiled a little at me. Sophia and Bradie were practically glued together at the fingertips and Lauren and Shaun were sticking close to eachother too. As the fans caught sight of all our hands joining, they began to call out things. Andy began to walk through the throng, keeping a firm grip on me. Hands came out of nowhere and shoved me to the side. I stumbled and glared defiantly at my attacker.

"What was that for?" I yelled, staring her down. She was roughly my height with short, brown hair and bright green eyes.

"For stealing Andy! He's mine!" she retorted, taking a step towards me.

"You deranged psychopath! He's not yours!" Suddenly, I was yanked backwards. A girl was practically on top of me, beating her hands against my cheek. She hit the bruise from the other night and tore part of my patch off.

"You bitch!" I screamed at her, pushing her off me. Someone took a firm grip on my arm and pulled me backwards. Sam was dragging me through the crowd towards the van. He roughly pushed me inside and I stumbled and crashed onto the floor. He slammed the door and jumped into the front seat before starting the engine. Bradie was leaning down, helping me onto the seat.

"Are you okay?" he asked as I sat down.

"I'm fine," I grumbled, clicking my seatbelt into place. "I was handling that perfectly fine," I added.

"No you weren't!" Lauren exclaimed. "You were practically on the ground!" Not wanting to argue, I glared out the front window. Shaun, who was in front with the video camera, stuck it in my face.

"Piss off Shaun," I said patiently, giving the camera a weary look. Andy, who was on my left, nudged me with his shoulder.

"C'mon! You used to be cool!" he grinned, dragging out his words.

"And you used to be normal," I replied pleasantly.

"That wasn't fair. I've never been normal!"

"And don't we know it." Sophia and Shaun cracked up while Bradie and Lauren looked entirely confused. Andy was mock scowling at me but I could see the ghost of a smile on his lips. His look vanished for a second as he reached out to touch my lip.

"You're bleeding," he murmured softly, pulling back a little. I reached up myself to touch my lip. Sure enough, a bead of bright red blood was dotting my finger. The girl who ripped off half the patch under my mouth had torn a little of my lip aswell.

"Your fans really don't like me," I commented, frowning at myself in the reflective back of Andy's iPhone. "Infact, they hate me." Catching Andy's doubtful look, I elaborated. "What kind of nice and normal band fan would do this to a band member's…friend?" Andy made a face at the word 'friend' but agreed with an incline of his head. "Maybe I'm just too gorgeous to not beat up." Shaun snickered and covered his mouth with his hand.

"Shut it, Donald!" I snapped. He looked a little annoyed but stopped laughing. _Wow, _I thought. _Who would've thought that horrible middle names could come of any use?_


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Sorry this is late :S My USB decided to be difficult...

**Attack of the evil little things they call feelings**

As we finished the last concert, we were bombarded with fans outside the door. Their insistent chants of 'Short Stack' echoed off the brick walls of the venue and rung in my ears.

"Hey!" Shaun called, greeting the flocks of girls that ran to him. Lauren gripped his hand firmly and stuck close. Bradie and Andy were greeted by fans aswell, only in lesser numbers. Bradie was all smiles, happily signing albums and posters. Someone even offered their Converse. His fans were much quieter, more civilised. Andy's fans though, were not. They clung to him and flirted in hopes of gaining an interest from the bass player. A few of the braver and extremely sluttier ones even kissed – yes, kissed – him on the cheek. This pissed me off. Pushing through the girls, I got to Andy, hugged him around his middle and smiled up at him. He grinned and winked at me. His followers backed off a little, stunned and pissed off. Lucky for me, Sam called out to us then, instructing all the fans to go away. Reluctantly, they did so and we climbed back into the van.

"I've gotta feeling that none of your fans like you anymore, Andy," I said, settling into a seat in the very back. Andy sat next to me, resting his legs on the headrest of the seat in front. Shaun swatted his feet away and swore at him.

"Shame. They were pretty good," he finally responded.

"C'mon, you've got to admit. They were a little crazy," I protested, raising my eyebrows at him.

"I don't blame them, personally," he answered mock-arrogantly. Rolling my eyes, I gazed forlornly out the window. I kind of missed my little sister, Jayme. She was two and a half years old and practically kept me sane. It was 11:10 p.m. She'd be in bed. "What's up?" I frowned and bit my bottom lip gently.

"Nothing. I'm just…thinking," I murmured. Andy laughed and cast a sidelong glance at me.

"You seem to do that a lot."

"Yeah, well. I'm full of evil and destructive plans, so it would probably be best if you stay on my good side." He chuckled and grinned at his iPhone screen. He was sending a text to someone. I knew it was rude to intrude on text messages so I peered out the window again. The passing cars and streetlights were simply streaks of bright against the inky-black surface of the night. Every one lonely and destructive, just like me.

"Okay, seeing as we have about half an hour until we get back to the hotel, you can tell me about you." He snapped me out of my reverie and I took a sneaky glance at him.

"What do you want to know?" Andy looked thoughtful.

"What's you're favourite colour?"

"Oh, come on! That's something you ask a kid in year two!"

"Aww. Just answer it," he said playfully.

"Alright! Black, silver and…red."

"Favourite…food?"

"Nutella, straight from the jar," I replied proudly.

"Hey! Me too! Okay, favourite music?"

"Uh, grunge, rock, oldies, 80s stuff, emo-ish punk, punk. Absoloutly _nothing_ by Rick Astley or any one of those shit people who can supposedly sing." I was very picky.

"Favourite band or bands?"

"Nirvana, My Chemical Romance, All Time Low, Boys Like Girls, the old grungy Silverchair, Paramore…I have a feeling there's more. I just can't remember them." Andy looked slightly outraged for a moment.

"Aren't you forgetting one very important and influential band?"

"Oh, yeah! Fall Out Boy!"

"No," he said patiently. "Who are you in a car with right now?"

"Um…oh! Short Stack," I said with fake enlightenment. When Andy realised I was joking, he grinned and shoved his mobile back into his pocket.

"Okay. Worst habit?" This one would be hard.

"Getting expelled. And graffiting. Blasting music so loudly that I can't hear for the next hour or two. Oh, and probably sneaking out at ungodly hours of the morning to see my friends." I tucked my bottom lip under my teeth and stole a glance at Andy. He looked slightly stunned and pulled a hand through his hair.

"Jeez. No wonder you're here." Another thought occurred to him. "How many schools have you been expelled from?"

"Well, there was the first primary school I went to. Got thrown out of there in year three for graffiting a teacher's car – I started young. Then there was the next one I was at for two years until year five. Kicked out of there for starting a food fight in the canteen. Then the one I was at until year eight. Started a punch-up there and got expelled. My parents then sent me to prison for troubled teenagers. _They_ didn't want me after I fucked up an assembly by accidentally lighting the curtains. That's where I met Sophia and Lauren," I explained.

"How long were you there for?" Andy asked.

"Two weeks. Then I went to another school for two years but they decided not to like me after I set the staff room on fire. That was the second last school. I missed half of that school year because my parents sent me to another prison. Sophia and Lauren didn't go with me though. Then there was the school I was most recently at. There we tagged the wall, trashed a teacher's car and kind of flooded all of the bathrooms. We did more then just tag a wall. Actually, we tagged the front office as well. And the principal's office, every classroom in the school, the bathrooms, staff room, locker bays, auditorium, sports hall, canteen, library – we taught the librarians a few new words, swimming pool, playground. And we also set fire to the oval. I think that may be it…" I trailed off and racked my brain for any other incidents.

"Shit," Andy admitted, nodding his head in awe. "Hey, Shaun. You hear what these guys _actually_ did to the rest of their school?" Lauren turned round and gave me an aggravated look.

"Ashli! You didn't tell him did you?" Sophia looked a little pissed as well.

"Aww, c'mon! They were gonna find out sometime! Plus anyway, you've got to be proud of what we did!" I protested.

"That's not the point though. You promised Louise we wouldn't tell anyone – "

"Don't," I hissed, "talk about Louise." My warning came out harsher than I'd wanted it to. Sophia looked slightly hurt and surprised.

"I'm sorry. I thought you were over it," she whispered gazing at her hands, which were interlocked in her lap.

"I won't ever be over it. It was my fault she – "

"It was not your fault! We all had a part in it. Not just you – "

"How about we calm down, okay?" Lauren said, cutting Soph off mid-sentence. We all fell silent until Shaun began to launch into conversation with Bradie, Sophia and Lauren. There was a barrier between Andy and I now. A sheet of awkwardness that had instantly been shot up.

"So," he started. "How did you meet Sophia and Lauren?"

"Like I said, we went to the same prison. Well, it wasn't a prison; just a very, very, very strict school," I replied.

"What were you there for?"

"I threw a party when my parents were out and my friends did some crazy shit. I got sent to that 'prison' and met Sophia and Lauren. We were all let out at the same time and were sent to the same school after."

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"And you already have a criminal record?"

"Yep. It's pretty big too."

"Hmm…" In that silence, I liked to think he was mulling over the fact that I was ten times cooler than he was and had much more experience in the Real World then he did. I knew that wasn't it though. He was probably trying to find ways to get away from me. "Who's Louise?" It felt like everything came crushing down on me. No one had spoken of Louise since the fateful day. It was a massive secret locked in all our hearts.

"I…I don't…can't…no," I stammered, running a nervous hand through my loose hair.

"You don't want to tell me?" I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

"We're here, guys!" Shaun called, spinning the video camera to face us. We all made obscene gestures and faces at the camera and laughed as Bradie failed an attempt to get out of the van. As we all jumped onto the blacktop, Sam informed us that he would go and park the car while we went up to our room. Doing as we were told, we entered the darkness that was our hotel room. As Bradie flicked on the light, we all gasped. The room was trashed. The table was overturned and glasses were shattered on the floor.

"Fuck…" I whispered. Shaun had moved forward towards the bedroom I shared with Sophia and Lauren.

"Hey, you might wanna come see this," he said to us. Lauren, Sophia and I shared a worried glance before hurrying towards him. He'd turned on our light and was scanning the mess that was our bedroom. All the contents of our suitcases were thrown over the carpet, our makeup and hair products thrown onto the bathroom floor. Then, as my eyes traveled upwards, I saw the words that made my blood boil. _We payed you a visit. Stay away from our boys. Kara. _It was painted in bright red ink above the mucked up beds.

"Bitches!" I hissed, leaning down to clean up our things.

"Who is Kara?" Bradie asked.

"She's the girl who did this," I said, pointing to my patches. Understanding flickered in everyone's eyes as they bent to help me. Sam arrived back then, calling to us from the front door.

"In here!" Bradie yelled. Sam moved to the bedroom, his silhouette framed in the door.

"What happened?" he asked.

"We were…ransacked. I don't know if anything has been taken," I explained, biting my lip.

"Shit!" Sophia's voice rang through the room.

"What?" I asked, moving towards her.

"This." She pointed to the balcony outside. My shirt was fluttering against the railing. Throwing open the door, I exploded onto the concrete and almost fell over the rails. Our clothes were in a heap on the street below. It was then I spotted them. Kara and her two friends. They were standing over the clothes, grinning.

"Stupid bitches!" I screamed, spinning and running for the door. Andy grabbed for me but I neatly dodged his outstretched hand. Thundering down the corridor outside our room, I ran straight for the stairs and skipped them three at a time. Once I reached the bottom floor, I was almost out of breath. As I tore through the lobby, I slammed into the doors so hard that I was momentarily stunned. Eventually, I got outside and rounded the corner. Kara was still there. She and her friends had their backs to me, yelling up at Lauren or Sophia. I slunk into the shadows, trying to control my breathing. Carefully, I snuck up behind Kara then as she breathed in, took her arms and shoved her against the wall. She screamed and kicked out at me but I pulled her forward and slammed her back against the wall.

"You bitch!" I screamed at her face, glaring. She struggled against my grip but then smiled.

"Oh. I didn't realise it was you!" she said sarcastically.

"Like hell you didn't." I saw her two friends advance towards me and I gripped Kara by her curly, flame red hair. They stopped in their tracks when they saw me drag her delicate face closer to the bricks.

"You wouldn't," she sneered, pulling against my hold. In response, I just dragged her closer and tugged her hair sharply. She screamed and screwed her eyes shut.

"How did you get into our room?" I growled.

"My…my dad works…at this hotel. He gave us…the card," Kara responded.

"Why did you trash our room?"

"Because you stole…them from us…"

"Stole who?"

"Short Stack you cow…"

"They were never yours."

"Yes, they…were. Please let go…" Growing irritated, I sighed exasperatedly.

"Don't ever let me see you again. Got it? If you ever come near me or my friends in the near or distant future, you'll know about it," I hissed in her ear. She nodded in fear and dropped to her knees when I let her hair go. Keeping an eye on her and her friends, I snatched the clothes from the ground and backed away from them. As I got around the corner, I bolted. I could hear their feet slamming against the pavement as I ran for the doors. _Freaking liar! _I growled in my head. They were getting closer. Slamming into the doors, I ran for the stairs. Taking them three at a time, I slipped and hit my knees and shins a few times but continued on none the less. When I reached my floor, I was almost panting and could barely move another step. I could hear their feet though; that pushed me onwards. It was stupid of them. One or two should have taken the elevator instead of all three pursuing me up the stairs. As I thundered down the corridor, I banged on my door frantically. The stair door swung open and Kara began to get closer.

"Open up!" I screamed, banging and kicking at the door. I wouldn't be able to take on all three girls. Not after what they'd already done to me. "Open the fucking door!" she was way closer now. Suddenly, Andy responded to my screams and opened the door with a very confused look on his face.

"What the heck is going on – " I threw myself inside and slammed it shut behind me before twisting the lock. Sinking to the ground, I chucked the clothes to the side of me and closed my eyes. My heart was pumping, threatening to burst out of my heaving chest.

"What was that?" Andy asked as Kara began to thump on the door. I waited to catch a little of my breath back.

"Those…girls…that trashed…our room…" I panted, leaning my head back against the door. Lauren appeared from the bedroom and laughed at me.

"Well, don't you look like a picture of health?"

"Fuck…off." She ignored that.

"What did those sluts want?"

"Apart from…wanting me dead…they wanted…them." I pointed and accusing finger at Short Stack as the rest of them assembled in front of me. Sophia laughed and fell against the wall. We stared at her blankly until she finished.

"You right…there?" I was regaining my breath and could breath a little easier. Kara and her friends began pounding on the door again.

"Shut up!" Lauren yelled, kicking the door. They began to scream at us, demanding that we go outside so we can 'sort it out.' When the Earth freezes over.

"This is so ridiculous!" Sophia exclaimed, beginning to crack up again. Bradie glanced at her, questioning her mental stability.

"No shit, Sherlock," I muttered.

"Hey!" Shaun addressed the girls outside. They screamed as they heard his voice. "What do you want?" he asked.

"The stupid slut. That's what we want," Kara replied, arrogance clear in her tone.

"Well you can't have _her_," Lauren yelled. "But if you want, I can come and sort you out!" There was a mumble from the hall.

"Fine. Come out here and prove how tough you are!" Lauren gently pushed me aside and was about to enter her doom when Shaun stopped her.

"Don't. It'll only make them even more…" he searched for a word.

"Persistent?" I supplied, looking up at him. He grinned and nodded. Andy held out a hand to help me to my feet. Gratefully, I took it and he hauled me to my feet. Bradie caught me as I stumbled and fell against him.

"Thanks," I mumbled.

"No worries. First one's free." Kara thumped on the door again.

"What happened to you little act – "

"Oh my God!" I screamed, cutting of her rant. "You are so bloody annoying! Piss off and go back to your homes under railway tracks where you belong!" There was a stunned silence both in the room and outside.

"I'll have you know my dad is the – "

"I don't give a donkey's arse who your dad is! Just go the heck away!" Shaun cracked up and slapped me a high five.

"You stupid bitch! I'm going to get my dad up here and you are going to be kicked out of the hotel! I'll make sure you are escorted by some of my dad's really good friends and – " She had just snapped my last nerve. Throwing open the door, I took them by surprise and shoved Kara backwards.

"What did I tell you?" I growled, pushing her again. Now, let me tell you. I'm not a bad person. I'm more of an insult person. I'm never physical with someone unless they really, really, really piss me off. This was one of those times.

"What did I tell _you_?"

"I don't care what you told me! I want you to take your slutty ass friends and _get lost_!" I yelled, holding her against the wall.

"Ashli," Sophia said from behind me.

"What!" I snapped, not taking my eyes off Kara.

"You might want to – no you don't!" I heard her growl. Turning a little, I saw her grab Kara's blonde friend by the back of her shirt and force her down to her knees. Blondie had been about to attack me. Lauren and the brunette exchanged a glare before running at eachother. Andy, Bradie and Shaun watched from the door as we six girls fought eachother in the hall. Lauren punched The Brunette on the cheek as she straddled her. Kara lunged forward, sending me sprawling backwards onto the ground. She kicked at me, striking my ribs and legs. At one stage, her foot caught my nose and made it bleed onto a new t-shirt.

"You cow!" I shouted. "You got blood on my shirt!" Leaping to my feet, I slammed her in the stomach with my fist. She gagged and fell to her knees. Sophia was winning her fight and had Blondie against the wall. Lauren had The Brunette on the floor and was effectively making sure she stayed there. A warm trail spread down to my upper lip as I shoved Kara down. She kicked at my leg, making me go down on one knee. She leapt at me, landing on my ribs with a crack. I screamed and clutched at my aching ribcage. Kara straddled my waist and wound her hand into my hair. She tugged sharply and laughed as I winced. My hand came up and slapped her fiercely on her right cheek. She gasped and I took the moment to throw her off me. I crawled over to her and pulled my fist back.

"Andy," Bradie said. "You might wanna restrain Ashli. She looks about ready to kill that girl." Shaun had Lauren in an unbreakable hold and Bradie was calming down Sophia. Andy looked worried and ambled cautiously over to me. He grabbed me around my waist and dragged me backwards. I thrashed in his grip and aimed to launch myself back at Kara. He hauled me up and pulled me against him. Kara lay on the dark blue carpet, breathing quickly. Blondie and The Brunette were attending to her, sneering and hissing at us. My chest rose and fell rapidly as I glared at them. Eventually, Kara sat up and glared back.

"You stupid son of a fucking bitch. Just wait till my dad finds out!" She was helped to her feet by her friends and strode over to me. I kicked at her but missed entirely. Her friends wrenched me out of Andy's grip and held onto me tightly. Attempting to hurt them, they just tugged my hair and told me to shut-up. Kara gave me an evil look and turned to Andy, placing a hand on his cheek. She reached up on her toes, grinned again and kissed him. For a moment, I stood still, shocked. Then reality kicked in. Thrashing, I flew out of my captor's grip and at Kara, smashing us both into the wall. My fist came up and hit her cheek, jaw, eyebrow. I was dragged backwards again and watched as Kara grinned evilly at me.

"Get the fuck off me!" I screamed at Andy, attempting to shove him away. The three girls turned and strode down the hall, throwing a few names and insults over their shoulders.

"I said: Get. The. Fuck. Off. Me!!!" I screamed again, shoving at him harder. When he didn't let go, I kicked at him, scoring one in the shin and the knee. He let go of me like I'd electrocuted him. He looked hurt and angry but I glared defiantly at him.

"You stupid bastard," I hissed, looking directly into his eyes. He opened his mouth but I turned on my heel and started for the room. His hand came out to grab me but I pushed past it and went into my bedroom. It was still a mess but I didn't mind. I slid through the curtains and opened the sliding doors to the balcony, careful to slide the curtains back over the doors once I was outside. Little flashes and balls of light from the buildings lit the city. I curled against the railing and brought my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. Tears trickled from my eyes and mixed with the blood from my nose. I began to grow cold in my shorts and t-shirt.

It was around one o'clock in the morning and I had been sitting outside for a good hour or so. No one had bothered me, which was good. They probably knew where I was though. The tears had dried, leaving salty trails down my frozen cheeks. I found some water and cleaned all the dry blood off my face, attempting to make myself look a little better. After five minutes, someone slid open the doors. I looked up and glared.

"Get lost," I growled, turning back to the city.

"No." Andy was firm and slid the doors shut again. He leant against the railing in front of me.

"Fuck off. I don't want to talk to you." I clipped my words, pouring as much venom into them as I could.

"That's too bad then." We were silent. "What did I do?" I laughed without humour.

"What did you do? Are you kidding me?" When he gave me a look that said 'I'm dead serious' I laughed again. "You must be thicker than I thought. What do you think you did?" He thought.

"Nothing that would've made you so pissed off at me." I shook my head in disbelief.

"That slut kissed you. And you _let _her," I hissed, shaking my head again.

"Why do you have a problem with that?" I looked him in the eyes for the first time.

"Because I don't want her to." He gazed at me in disbelief.

"Why not?" I stood abruptly and stared at him.

"Because _she_ doesn't like you." With that, I climbed up onto the railing. I'd found a way to get up onto the roof in the past hour and made my escape. I hooked my feet onto a balcony a metre off and used that to get up onto the ladder that was bolted into the hotel wall. I wasn't afraid of heights and was glad for that because I was seven storeys off the ground and climbing a very old rusting ladder.

"What the heck are you doing?" Andy called from our balcony. I looked across at him and glared.

"Getting as far away from you as possible. And while I'm at it I might find a way to forgive you. Don't count on it though."

"Get down! What the hell are you playing at?"

"No." He disappeared from view and I let one hand go, swinging perilously. Andy returned with Sophia and Lauren, Bradie and Shaun tagging along too.

"Ashli!" Lauren screeched. "Get the hell down from there!" I shook my head and let one foot go.

"You idiot Ashli!" Sophia exclaimed. "Get your ass back down here!"

"No." Shaun hid a grin of admiration behind his hand.

"Please, Ashli. Get down," Bradie tried, giving me a puppy dog look. I almost gave in but thought better of it.

"No." I climbed another two rungs, stopped and looked back at them. "I'll see you on the roof." I continued up the ladder, growing less confident with every rung. Finally, I reached the top and clambered over the edge of the roof. Everyone was already there, sitting around one of the tables. They stood as I stepped over the barrier and leant against it.

"I'm alive. Anyone surprised?" I said, crossing my arms.

"Surprised? No. Extremely pissed is what I am!" Lauren exclaimed, striding over to me.

"You have no need to be." I said, irritated.

"My friend just climbed eight storeys up a rusty old ladder which was barely clinging to the hotel wall. Is that enough reason to be pissed?" She looked at me angrily and stepped back, shaking her head.

"You guys mind giving us some privacy?" Andy asked, addressing everyone. They shrugged, stood and went back into the elevator, disappearing as the doors slid closed.

"Do you _want_ me to climb back down that ladder?" I growled, glaring. He gave me an annoyed look and moved towards me. I swung my legs back over the edge and dropped onto the top of the ladder.

"Don't you dare," Andy warned, grabbing my arm.

"Don'ttouch me," I hissed, fixing my eyes on his hand. Reluctantly, he let go. I maneuvered myself around and lowered my body down onto the ladder a little more.

"Please just let me talk to you," he sighed, sounding defeated. I was about to refuse but saw the desperate glint in his eyes and brought myself up to the barrier. It was made of stone and I picked at the chipped areas, waiting for him to start.

"I didn't know you liked me _that_ much. Honestly." I didn't reply but kept picking at the stone. "I thought you were just…being a crazed fan. I guess I was wrong?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry." His voice was soft and held no lies.

"I don't know if I can forgive you. It's not like I wasn't being subtle or anything. But you know the worst part?" He shrugged. "You let her kiss you and I watched the whole thing. You didn't even try to stop her," I whispered, pain tearing my tough-girl image to shreds. He looked mildly shocked and looked down at his hands.

"I didn't know," he repeated quietly.

"You really hurt me…"

"Not physically," he said.

"No. Not physically. But here." I put a hand to my chest, looking at him through wet eyes. He swung me round so I was on the roof and moved a little towards me. He put his fingers under his chin and gently forced me to look up.

"Looked to your eyes can't remember whether or not that I wish this night would last forever." He dipped his head forward slowly.

"No…" I growled gently. He pulled away a little and blinked at me. When he saw me smile apologetically, he pulled me into a hug.

"I hope you know I haven't fully forgiven you yet," I whispered, twining my arms around his waist.

"You will one day."

"Don't count on it…"

"Alright, let's go in." Andy opened our hotel room. We'd stayed up on the roof for another hour, just sitting and talking. Everyone was in bed. There was the lounge room light on but nothing else. I peeked into my bedroom and saw Lauren and Shaun lying on top of the sheets of one of the beds. Sophia and Bradie were curled up next to eachother on the couch. They resembled cats so much I had to stifle a laugh.

"Well, where do we sleep?" I asked.

"There's another bedroom. With two beds," he added after catching my look. Nodding, I followed him into the boy's room. Too tired to get changed, I kicked off my Converse and flopped back onto the bed. Andy obviously felt the same and flicked off the light. He felt his way to the other bed, cussing when he hit the bedside table. I laughed and turned on my side.

"Andy?"

"Mm?"

"I'm sorry for getting angry before. I was kind of overreacting. Sorry." All I got in response was a small noise and heavy breathing. He was asleep. That guy was crazy. As my eyes drooped, a dream flooded into my head.

I woke with a start, tears running down my cheeks.

"Ashli?" Andy's voice cut through the dark. "You okay?" A sob escaped my lips, triggering a fresh round of tears. I heard his sheets rustle and then his warm breath on my cheek. "What's wrong?" I didn't trust myself to speak. Instead, I tried to calm down.

"I just…it was a dream. Can I sleep with you?" I whispered pathetically.

"I guess." He took my hand and guided me across the small gap between the two beds. He climbed in first, making space for me. As I slid in, I pulled the cover over me and turned on my side so I was facing him. He was closer than I thought, a little less than a quarter of a metre away.

"Feel okay?" I nodded as my eyes adjusted to the dark. His hand found mine and he gave my fingers a reassuring squeeze. "I'm here. It's okay." He hummed the tune to 'Counting the Stars' and before I knew it, I was asleep.

I stretched and rolled over, expecting to find empty space. Instead, I hit something hard and human. My eyes flew open and I rolled back from Andy. His mouth was hanging open, his eyes still closed. I gazed at him and smiled.

"Why are you looking at me?" he mumbled, smiling a little. I jumped and laughed at myself.

"You scared me! Because you're very cute when you sleep." Yep, tough-girl image straight out the window. He beckoned for me to move closer to him and I shifted, bringing my face closer to his. It tasted like something died in my mouth so I tried my best to keep from breathing on him. He opened his eyes, placed a hand behind my neck and brought me closer. Before kissing my forehead and releasing me.

"Hey, lovebirds. You want breakfast before we – Woah! Woah!" Shaun barged through the door and almost fainted at the scene.

"You dickhead!" Andy exclaimed, throwing a pillow at his head. "We weren't doing anything!"

"Like fuck you weren't!" He retreated, swearing some more before slamming the door.

"I better go get ready," I announced, swinging my legs out of the bed.

"Good idea." Andy followed my example and moved towards his suitcase in the corner of the room. As I reached for the door handle, Andy called out to me.

"Ash, don't tell anyone about last night. I don't want fans trying to murder you. You're too precious." With that, he winked and grinned.

"I can take care of myself!" I protested, crossing my arms over my chest. His eyebrow rose.

"Tell me when you can get that piercing back in," he said simply. Giving him an exasperated look, I peeled open the door and went into the living room. Shaun was lounging on the couch with Sophia, watching True Blood.

"Sorry I disturbed your little…adventure," he said as I walked in. I shoved him playfully and sat on him.

"And I'm sorry your itty-bitty brain isn't big enough to comprehend the fact that _nothing was going on_!" Sophia looked perturbed and shifted uncomfortably.

"Coffee?" She asked, standing.

"Please," I grinned. Shaun asked for some too and she disappeared into our kitchen. I stood and spun to face Shaun.

"You tell anyone and you won't be playing guitar for a long, long time. Got it?" I hissed, crossing my arms.

"Oh, come on! I know you're joking. As if you would beat me up."

"I wouldn't doubt her if I were you," I heard Andy say from behind the couch. "Look what she did to my knee." He pulled out his phone and showed us a picture of his knee. Sure enough, there was a great blue and green bruise practically covering his knee.

"I'm so sorry! Did I really do this?" I cried, staring at the picture in horror. Lauren walked in then, wringing out her wet hair.

"What's up?" she asked, wandering over to us. My eyes dragged themselves away from the photo and to my friend.

"I'll let the kids explain. I'm having a shower," I said, striding towards my bedroom. Once I'd washed my hair and dried it, I straightened it and pulled it into a high, messy ponytail. Applying some black eyeliner and mascara, I carefully peeled off the patch that concealed half my eyebrow. Luckily, it didn't tear off any of the hairs. There was a small white scar slicing through the end of it and it was still a little red. I also took off the patch below my lip. That one was worse. It was red and scabbing a little. It wasn't so bad that I had to cover it up, so I left it. I had a few black bruises over my left eye from where Kara punched me, and the left side of my ribs was green and yellow. My knuckle had split and was swollen from when I'd punched Kara and I wrapped a small white bandage over my hand. Apart from all that, I slipped into my new pair of torn skinny jeans and a black t-shirt. After I got out of the shower, I packed everything into my suitcase and dragged it out to the lounge. Shaun grinned as I walked in. Suddenly, my sight was gone and I was being carried somewhere.

"What the…?" I laughed, relaxing as I was put down on something soft. I tried to peek, but someone put a blindfold over my eyes. "No fair!" I protested, crossing my arms. They laughed and told me to hold out my hands.

"No," I grinned, shaking my head. Someone gripped my wrists and forced me to open my palms. I recognised the smell of them instantly.

"Bradie, please let me go," I said sweetly.

"Sorry Ash. I can't," he apologised.

"Aww! Why not?"

"Because Andy said I couldn't." I groaned.

"Of course he did! Andy! Get your butt over here!" I felt his presence close by. "You mean little ass. Don't bully Bradie," I reprimanded him. He leaned close to my ear and I felt his hot breath tickle my cheek.

"What are you going to do about it?"

"When I get out of this, I'm going to kick your ass so bad you're not gonna want to show your face for a very long time."

"I'd like to see that!" Shaun exclaimed from close by.

"Stop saying ass, you ass!" Sophia cried. Suddenly, everyone went quiet and something cold was pressed into my hands. So cold, infact, that it burned.

"Shit!" I yelled. "What is this?"

"Don't drop it!" Lauren screeched, steadying my hands.

"What is it?" I repeated. Someone tore off my blindfold and I stared at the object in my hands. It was medium sized and rectangular. A box. I cautiously peeled off the lid and gazed at the contents. There was a snow-globe the size of a tennis ball, a scene of a city built in the middle. Little flakes of glitter littered the bottom of the globe, acting as the bright city lights.

"What…what's this for?" I whispered, blinking in awe at the glitter-globe.

"It's for your birthday. And for everything else. You've gotten us here and we're really thankful," Lauren whispered, hooking her arm around Sophia's shoulders.

"I don't deserve this. I've been a bitch to you guys sometimes."

"Yes you do," Sophia smiled sadly. "We know you need something to remind you of where you belong."

"Thankyou so much. I love it." I stood and ambled over to them, engulfing both into a hug.

"Hey, what about us?" Shaun cried. "We helped pick it out!" I looked towards my friends for verification and they nodded. I hugged Shaun, Bradie and then Andy. While I was in Andy's arms, I whispered in his ear.

"Thankyou." He grinned and held me for a second longer.

"No problem." When we pulled apart, all eyes were on us. After a moment, I broke the silence.

"Wait, you're eighteen?" Shaun asked, completely perplexed.

"Yeah, these two turn eighteen in like two weeks though," I replied.

"Hmph. You're all gonna be older than me…" Bradie sulked. We all laughed then fell silent.

"So…uh why did you guys freeze the box?" The glitter stirred as my hands shifted restlessly.

"Shaun's idea," Bradie said. "He thought it would make it more deceiving."

"Why would you want to make it deceiving?"

"So you wouldn't know what it was." I rolled my eyes.

"Of course I wouldn't know! It was in a box!"

"That wasn't the point!" Shaun interjected. "I wanted to make it more interesting."

"Well, Shauny, you did. And thank-you for burning all the skin off my hands. I appreciate it very much." He looked very proud of himself and gravitated towards the kitchen. Sophia followed, then Bradie and Lauren. This was planned. I swear it. Andy and I were alone.

"What…why did…how can…thank-you," I stammered, smiling at how pathetic I was.

"No problems." He leaned closer, brushing a finger across my cheek before moving away from me and towards his bedroom.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: This chapter is slightly longer than the rest. I think.....

I wanted to say thankyou to melfletcherr for giving me a review. I'd also like to thank my gorgeous friend Brianna for giving me feedback and some awesome suggestions.

**Adelaide: home of creepy people who write disturbing notes to seventeen-year-old girls in bands.**

**(No offence intended to anyone who lives in Adelaide. I'm sure you're all awesome.)**

The drive to Adelaide was not appropriate enough to write about. Let's just say it was full of mooning, swearing and getting pulled over. When we finally arrived at our new hotel, I was very, very, thankful. Our room was large, with four – yes, four! – bedrooms, a kitchen and a living room. Immediately, I ran to one of the rooms and claimed it. Sophia and Lauren weren't at all squeamish about sharing but I was because of past personal experiences. I trooped back into the main area and into the other unclaimed rooms. Shaun and Andy were battling it out, both debating on who should get the room to themselves. I watched from the doorway for a few minutes, silently laughing as they began to raise their voices to a yell. Eventually, I became pissed off.

"For Christ's sake! Shut the fuck up!" I exclaimed, exasperated. They looked up and glared. "Why don't one of you stay in my room? Or the couch?" I suggested, crossing my arms. They glanced at eachother and shook their heads. "Why not?"

"Because you're not going to wanna share a room with us."

"I shared a room with my twenty-three year old cousin for two months. And we shared a bed. Nothing can be worse than sharing a bed with _him_," I said, giving them a proving look.

"No," Shaun said stubbornly.

"Fine!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up. "Sleep on the floor!" With that, I turned and stomped out of their room towards the front door. Throwing it open, I slammed it behind me and went to find a roof top meeting area. I didn't find a roof top meeting area, but I did find something better. It was covered in plants, trees, flowers and vines. An open air green house. In the far corner there were two beige-y coloured stone benches, surrounded by a tower of weeping willows. There was a pond in another corner with another bench, which had a few orange goldfish swimming around. There was a gazebo in another corner, beautiful and majestic. I gravitated towards the benches, hiding behind the willows. From there, my back was facing the city. It was darkening outside and lights were starting to pop up. My phone vibrated in my pocket and played a tinny version of 'Teenagers' by My Chemical Romance. I dug it out and glanced at the screen. 'Home.' Unwillingly, I pressed the green button and braced myself.

"Hello?" My voice came out fiercer than I intended it to.

"Tell me where you are." My mother's voice came clearly into my ear.

"No," I growled, biting my tongue to stop my adding something else on the end.

"Yes. I'll have the police track your phone and if I find out where you are, I'm coming for you and you won't be able to hide."

"Yeah, sure. And while you're at it, go for Prime Minister or massacre the English Royal Family."

"Don't you dare be smart with me, young lady. You will be coming home right now or you won't have a place in this house anymore."

"Fine. I've got everything I want and need. By the way, I took all the money from the bottom of your wardrobe."

"How dare you! You disobedient, selfish, reckless child. Your father and I spend all our time trying to provide for you and your sisters. Yet, you throw it back in our faces by getting expelled, starting fights, setting schools on _fire_!" She sounded like she was crying. I wasn't fussed though. She always let the waterworks go when she was angry.

"It's your own fault! You're the reason I turned out like this. I'm not coming home and I hope I never see you again. When Jayme is old enough, I'm coming to take her from you. I'm sure she'll hate you as much as I do. By the way, tell Alicia that she's a little skank." Alicia was my other sister who was eleven years old. She was perfect. Got good grades, did what she was told, never got in trouble, listened to my parents like they were God and absolutely hated my guts. Sister sent from heaven, right?

"I tried to get you to talk to me! I tried to help you!"

"How is sending your child to prison a way of helping them? I was depressed and you didn't care. You just sat there with your perfect little child and ignored every single negative thing that went through our house. I blasted music from the roof and piffed tomatoes at passing cars. You sent me to a psychologist, wondering if there was anything wrong with me. I tore apart my bedroom. You locked me in there for _three whole days_. Sophia and I lit a fire in our backyard. You locked us in the laundry for a _week_. And Sophia isn't even your daughter! Don't you understand? You are a bad parent. You topped it all off by sending me to prison." My throat was closing and my eyes were watering.

"You never listened to me! I tried to get through to you but you never took anything in," she cried.

"Of course I wouldn't! Why would I listen to you if all you did was yell at me? I'm not like your precious Alicia. If I don't want to do something, I'm not going to do it. Got it? And if you think I'm going to apologise and come crawling back when I think I've had enough of being an ungrateful teenager, you better think again. I have more of a family where I am now than I ever have." There was a charged silence from the other side of the line.

"The only reason your father and I sent you to the Juvenile Detention Centre was because of what you did. What kind of child kills their best friend?" She said softly but angrily.  
"Don't talk about Louise!"

"You did kill her! It was manslaughter, but you murdered your own best friend."

"Shut up!" I screamed. "It wasn't just me! We were high! We didn't do it on purpose!"

"So you _were_ on drugs!" she accused, contradicting my claims that I _hadn't_ been under the influence of drugs.

"You really thought I wasn't? God, you're stupid! I've done things so bad that you would die if I told you!" I was getting really pissed off. My 'pissed off meter' was literally at the highest point. "Anyway, I've got to go get high and cut myself. Have fun in your sad, lonely life. I hope I never see you again." With that, I hung up just as she began to scream at me. Okay, so I never did get good grades. Never did do my homework. My parents never thought I was a good little girl. Infact, I got incredibly bad grades, got suspended for not handing my homework in and my parents thought I was a fucked up, selfish, rebellious, reckless teen. I may have fabricated that a little. My chest was heaving and my hands were shaking. I'd never talked about what happened with Louise to anyone. Tears were quietly running down my cheeks and onto my t-shirt. Why was I crying? Surely, I shouldn't be. They sky had grown incredibly dark now and I was practically invisible behind the weeping willow.

"Ashli?" A soft voice came from the stairway. My head shot up and my breathing quickened. When I realised it was Bradie, I relaxed.

"Over here!" I called, waving a hand out of the leaves. He chuckled and supposedly walked over to me. He parted the hanging branches and sat down next to me.

"Hey." He tried for a smile.

"Hi. What's up?"

"Andy and Shaun felt bad for pissing you off so they sent me to make you feel better."

"Thanks. But I'm okay." He rose an eyebrow.

"Which explains the tears." I hurriedly wiped them away.

"It's not about them."

"Wanna tell me about it?"

"Not really. No offence but it's kind of a personal thing." He nodded understandingly.

"Wanna come down for dinner? You're gonna get eaten alive out here." He was right. I was being bitten every three seconds by pesky mosquitoes. And I was hungry. He helped me up and led me back to the stairs. When we were slowly climbing down, something occurred to me.

"How did you know I'd be up there?" Bradie thought for a moment.

"You like to be up high." As we reached our floor, I saw everyone standing outside our room, getting ready to go down to the buffet. They visibly lit up when they saw me and I smiled distractedly.

"Ready?" Sophia asked, pulling her hair into a ponytail. We all nodded and moved towards the elevators. It was a tight fit, but we managed to get down to the bottom floor without any drama. As we took a table, I sighed. I hated buffets. It was just always so…I don't know. Let's just say for now that I had a severe aversion to buffets. Anyway, as I followed Lauren up to get some food, my stomach flipped. There were posters pinned to a message board, showing Short Stack and Hush Hush – our band – in full colour printing. It had tour dates for all the concerts down the bottom and an email address for the ticket sales outlet. Lauren nudged me when I didn't move.

"What's up?" she asked, following my line of vision. "Hey!" she laughed when she saw the posters. "We're on a poster!" Ignoring her calls when I ran off, I found the clerk at the front desk.

"Where did you get those posters?" I demanded, jabbing a finger at the imposing pieces of paper. She looked a little taken aback but answered anyway.

"We got them from the tour manager. He said he sent them to every state and territory. There are adds in newspapers aswell," she gushed. When I was silent, I heard her sharp intake of breath. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed. "You're the lead singer of Hush Hush! I can't believe this!"

"What? Yes, yes, I know. Don't tell anyone you know we are here. Please. Can you do that for me?" She nodded, excitement gleaming in her brown eyes. "Good." Stepping back, I hurried to find my friends. When I caught up with them at the table, I was seriously worrying.

"Guys, there's bad news." They looked up from their plates of food.

"Does it have to interrupt our dinner?" Shaun asked, mouth full of pasta.

"Yes. There are posters of us everywhere. There are ads in newspapers about the concerts. And pictures." They looked confused.

"Why is that so bad? It's good promotion," Bradie said, forking some salad into his mouth.

"If my parents find out where I am they're going to come for me! I'm not going to be able to do _anything_ about it!"

"They're only your parents," Andy commented.

"_Only_ my parents? That's my point! They are psychotic! They'll lock me up and throw away the key." Shaun, Bradie and Andy cracked up.

"She isn't kidding!" Lauren added, giving them a withering look. "Her parents locked her and Sophia in their laundry for a week and only fed them once a day." They stopped and looked at Sophia and I for confirmation. We nodded and showed them my wrist. I'd carved out the date and days I was in the laundry with a flick-knife I'd found.

"Woah," Shaun whispered, touching the marks with his fingertip. I jerked backwards and pulled my jumper sleeve back down. "Sorry." He gave me an apologetic smile. I shrugged and sank down into the spare chair.

"They will find me. They're gonna construct a plan to get me home and to an air tight room or that prison in the outback." I had deflated completely after that. I didn't eat or drink; didn't say anything. When we went back upstairs, I changed into my pajamas and crawled into bed. In a matter of seconds, I was asleep, dreaming of the horrifying day my mother would find me.

"Shh! She'll wake up you dickhead!" Andy's voice penetrated the fog that had filled my head.

"She's waking up anyway!" Shaun protested. My eyelids fluttered and opened to reveal the bright afternoon sun. "See!"

"What the fuck are you two on about?" I mumbled yawning.

"God knows," I heard Marty say. I sat bolt upright, eyes wide open. Shaun laughed and fell off his chair.

"What are you doing here?" I asked incredulously. Then I realised. I wasn't in bed. I wasn't even in the hotel. I was in a dressing room with Marty, Shaun and Andy. Looking down at myself, I became confused. I wasn't wearing my pjs. I was in my new jeans with a light purple tank top and my white converse.

"How did I…?" I trailed off, wonderment colouring my voice.

"Lauren and Sophia dressed you," Shaun explained, grinning. That was okay. At least it wasn't any of the boys that had. "How did I get here?" Was my next question.

"Bradie carried you," Andy replied, shifting. "You were still asleep."

"Bradie?" now I was definitely confused. Bradie couldn't be strong enough. No offence to him.

"He's stronger than he looks. Drumming made him muscly," Sophia interjected, walking through the door. I noted she had a hint of pride in her tone.

"But why didn't An…never mind," I began but then thought better of it.

"Why didn't I carry you?" Andy asked, clearly hearing what I was getting at.

"I was taking your stuff down and arranging for the van to be brought closer so you wouldn't be too 'exposed'. I _thought _you would be upset about that" – he shot Shaun an accusing look – "but your good friend here decided that it would be better if I did all the stuff I did." A blush crept up to my cheeks and I hid my face.

"Aww, she's blushing!" Lauren exclaimed, coming into the room.

"Don't pick on her. She's just embarrassed," Bradie cooed, sitting next to me and patting my head.

"Stop being so condescending! What are we doing here?" I was anxious to change the subject.

"You are about to go on stage. It's exactly 7:01. Get going!" Marty said, clapping his hands. I rushed to a mirror to do my hair then followed Sophia and Lauren on stage. There were screams of 'Hush Hush' and also screams of 'Short Stack is better than you are. Get off the fucking stage'. Ignoring _those_ cries, we picked up our instruments and tuned up a little.

"How are you, Adelaide?" I cried into the microphone, getting a chorus of screams in response. "Here to see Short Stack?" The screams got louder, if possible. "Sorry, but you're gonna have to sit through us first. The first song we are going to play is 'Dear Maria, Count Me In' by All Time Low!" I counted everyone in and began to play.

"_I got your picture_

_I'm coming with you,_

_Dear Maria, count me in_

_There's a story at the bottom of this bottle and I'm the pen…_" The crowd loved it, some singing along. When it came to the end of our fourth song, I announced to the crowd, "Now you will see who you have been waiting for! SHORT STACK!" The screams almost lifted the roof off as our boys trooped onto the stage, grinning. They slapped us high-fives on our way out and took their places on stage. Lauren and I fell against eachother for support as we watched from backstage. We were dead tired from all the dancing around and playing. Sophia was lying on the ground, her breathing all over the place.

"I'm…never playing…a concert…here again!" Sophia exclaimed, squeezing her eyes shut.

"I…hear you…" Lauren gasped. Short Stack's first song was 'Sway Sway Baby' and the crowd went crazy, belting out the lyrics tunelessly. My heart was thumping so much that when I looked down at my chest, I could see it pulsing.

"I'm thirsty. Back…soon." I shuffled off towards the dressing room, barely even having enough energy to lift my feet. As I grabbed a bottle of Sprite from our mini-fridge, I noticed something that sent a wave of emotions through me. There was a note resting on one of the benches. Shakily, I reached forward and plucked it off. There was a messy scrawl on the front.

_To whomever it may concern…_it read.

Confused, I set down my bottle of Sprite, sat on our couch and opened the note. There was more of the scrawl on the inside, just a little neater.

_If you are reading this, you can see that I got into your dressing room without any qualms. Security is vital in times like these. _

I guessed they were dropping a hint.

_For three teenage girls, performing with their favourite band of all time would be terribly exciting. Wouldn't it? Lauren, you dreamed of the day you would meet the infamous Short Stack. Now that you have, I see you have regrets. You miss your home and wish to see your little brothers, Luke and Aaron. You were not bothered by the fact you were expelled from three different schools, all for the same thing. Your graffiting habits must stop; it is dreadful. Your life will not be fulfilled if you continue with your rebellious ways. _

_Sophia, you dreamed of the day that Bradie Webb would notice you. Dreamed that you would become friends. Now that you have, your heart is heavy with regrets of leaving your cousins, Daniel and Jake. You took part in trashing the school but were not fussed when expulsion came into the picture. Four schools have come and gone, three of which you shared with your friend, Louise._

_Ashli, dear Ashli. You were different. You too, dreamed of meeting the band you worshipped. You were the worst behaved of the three; seemingly, the most rebellious. Six schools have passed you by. You were rejoicing when you were expelled from each, happy that you could prove to everyone how individual you were. So individual that you took part in murdering your friend. Louise did not deserve that. You miss your younger sister Jayme, you wish to take her from your mother when she is older. Speaking of mothers, yours is searching for you. She has observed the posters and seen the ads. How you long to stay as far away from her as possible. You do not like the fact that she sent you to a prison on killing your friend. _

_You may be wondering how I know so much about you three. I am closer to you than you think. One day, we shall meet. Until then, I bid you good luck. And remember, I'm always watching. _

I was trembling by the time I'd finished. Tears were streaming down my frozen cheeks and I couldn't even bring myself to move. My fingers released the paper mechanically and it fluttered to the ground. How did he know so much about me? How did he know I had a little sister? Had been expelled from six different schools? Needed to prove to everyone I was individual? Was sent to a prison? My skin was like ice and it felt like the room had dropped ten degrees. Curling my legs up to my chest, I wrapped my arms around them and burrowed into the corner of the couch, cowering. _…I'm always watching._ Those words burned themselves into my brain. I was shaking from head to toe, the silent tears still crawling down my cheeks. It was about twenty minutes later when everyone came in. It was intermission. When they saw me in my state, they rushed over, demanding what was wrong.

"Oh my God! She's as pale as a ghost!" Lauren exclaimed, kneeling in front of me.

"What happened?" Shaun asked, standing on the other side of the table. I shook my head, words failing me. Sophia sat next to me, followed by Andy.

"Please Ash. What happened?" Soph shook my arm gently. My eyes screwed shut and I shook my head again.

"What's this?" Bradie asked, picking up the evil piece of paper from the floor. He scanned through it quickly and almost went as white as me.

"This isn't good," he whispered, holding out the paper for Lauren. She took it from him and read through it. Her eyes grew wider by the second and when she was done, handed it over to Sophia. She had the same reaction, eyes boggling when she read the part about herself.

"Fuck," Andy hissed, reading over Sophia's shoulder. Shaun was the last to read it. He looked furious when he was done.

"What…oh shit," Lauren looked genuinely scared. Tears were pooling in her eyes.

"It's okay. Everything's okay. We can find – " I cut Andy off.

"Okay? Are you kidding me?! They know _everything_ about us. How would They know Sophia has two cousins named Daniel and Jake? How would they know Lauren has two brothers named Luke and Aaron? How would they know I have a little sister named Jayme?_ It isn't okay_." He looked taken aback. I'd never gotten angry with him. Well, apart from the time Kara kissed him, but that was different.

"Don't get pissed with me. I haven't done anything!" he protested, leaning forward to look me in the eyes.

"You said this was 'okay'! I have every right to get pissed with you! How messed up would you have to be to think this was all 'okay'!?" My legs were uncurled, swinging in front of Lauren.

"How messed up would you have to be to murder your own friend?!" he retorted. My breath caught in my throat and I gazed at him, hurt filling my eyes.

"How could you…?" I let the question hang.

"I'm sorry. I was just – "

"Shut up. Just _shut_ _up_." I could feel a lump forming in my throat and I knew I was going to cry. I focused on a dark circle on the table in front of me, biting the inside of my cheek, digging my nails into my palm.

"Hey," Sophia said softly, "calm down." Before I knew it, there was another trail running from my eyes.

"I didn't mean for you to cry, Ash. I'm really – "

"I told you to shut up! I don't care what you have to say!" I yelled, standing and stopping in front of him. "I don't care what you did or didn't mean to do! I don't want to hear you say sorry over and over again! Just piss off and _leave me alone_!" Disappearing into the hall, I slammed the door behind me. Where to go, where to go? It's not like I could storm off outside or something. Security wouldn't let me. There was one spot I knew I _could_ go, but it wouldn't be very smart or safe. Considering the roof was peaked. I'd seen a manhole at the end of one of the corridors and I set off to find it at a run. I didn't want anyone stopping or seeing me. Eventually, I found it and climbed the ladder that was bolted into the brick wall. Pushing on the trap door, I climbed higher and pulled myself up and onto the roof. Carefully, I put the door back down and shifted it into place. The roof was like a mountain range. It had small peaks and flat areas and changed this pattern every five metres or so. Carefully climbing one of the small peeks, I slid down the other side to the flat bit. I climbed another peak and rest at the top of it, sighing at low high I was. Trust me, it was no twelve-storey building. Adelaide looked pretty good from my position but it didn't sparkle as brightly as Melbourne had.

" 'How messed up would you have to be to cut yourself and murder your own friend?' " I quoted Andy's words softly. "Very messed up, Andy. Just like me." My words held no defeat. They floated through the night serenely, gliding over the stars and clouds. The clouds infact, were a menacing black, covering the rest of the city. Suddenly, a drop of rain hurtled from the sky and landed on my arm. It was quickly followed by more and more until it was bucketing down.

"Argh! Fucking rain!" I shouted at the sky. I was soaked within a second and could feel the droplets sliding off the end of my nose. The peak I was perched on was flat at the top and made for a good seat. Sadly, it began to fill with water and my butt grew very numb. Even though I began to shiver, I did not move. There was no way I could face anyone again; not after my little performance. I began to grow a teeny bit edgy while sitting on the peak so I carefully maneuvered myself to the edge and slid down. As I reached the bottom, I collided with the opposite peak and hit my forehead.

"Ow! Shit!" I yelled, plastering my hands to my head. When I pulled them away, I saw that there was blood smeared over my fingers. _Shit, not good! _Hurriedly, I climbed over this peak and slid down the other side to the manhole. Pulling it open, I clambered down onto the ladder and dragged it shut after me. My legs were knocking together so badly that I couldn't even climb down the ladder properly. In the end, I just jumped, landing on my hands and knees. Stumbling to my feet, I groped for the wall, growing unsteady. Blood mixed with the water on my face, sliding down onto my neck and shirt. The hall spun around me as I moved forward. My head was pounding, throbbing and aching with every movement. It felt like my brain was loose and knocking against the insides of my skull. The door to the dressing room came into sight as I turned a corner. I was now fully supporting myself against the wall, shuffling forward. With every stumble, the hall looked more and more like a spinning vortex, twisting and turning violently. I reached the dressing room after literally ten minutes. I took a step forward, hit the door with my hand and fell to my knees. _I'm gonna be sick!_ I moaned to myself, crawling to lean against the wall. There was another short intermission and Shaun, Andy and Bradie walked around the corner. Sophia opened the door at the same moment, gasping when she saw me.

"Ashli! Shit! Come here!" She yelled to Lauren, kneeling next to me. Andy was on my left side, his hand on my neck. I felt too sick to tell him to piss off, so I left it. Shaun was inside with Lauren and Bradie stood infront of me, terror plastered to his face.

"Guys," he whispered. "Her head is bleeding." Both their eyes snapped up to look at my hairline. It takes no medical guru to know that a head injury is bad.

"I…don't…think…throw up…" I mumbled, clutching my stomach.

"I'm not taking her!" Sophia cried, jumping to her feet and backing away. Lauren strode into the hall, hauling me to my feet. She half carried me to the female bathroom just across from us (handy, huh?) and pulled me into one of the stalls. She set me down in front of the toilet and I leaned forward and, well…you know. She held my hair back and somehow found me a towel and glass of water. When I'd cleaned out my mouth, I flushed the toilet.

"Godammit! Why does this stuff always happen to me?" I moaned, leaning back against the stall. Lauren laughed shakily and shook her head.

"That was close. God, I thought you were gonna be sick all over Andy's shoes." I grimaced at the thought. "Gonna be alright now?" I nodded and stood unsteadily.

"Should be. If not, I'll warn you. Oh, got any gum? A toothbrush?" she laughed and dug in her pockets, producing a pack of Extra peppermint gum. Taking three pieces, I crammed them all into my mouth in haste to get rid of the sour taste that had washed up on my tongue. Lauren looked amused and asked if I wanted another. When I refused, she pocketed the gum again and helped me out the door. Everyone was in the hallway with two first-aid nurses.

"Ah, the woman of the hour!" The older nurse – whose name was Katherine – said, approaching me. I tried to smile but was more embarrassed. I mean, really. My favourite people in the world had just witnessed me about to throw up. Humiliating much?

"Let's have a look at your head." She pulled my fringe back and inspected the damage. "Why didn't you come to us earlier? This could've been very serious," she told me, gesturing to the other, younger, nurse. The younger nurse – Nicole – moved forward, holding a first-aid kit. Katherine took out a patch and a bottle of antiseptic. Great. More patches.

"You're lucky you don't need any stitching," Nicole said, looking over the older nurse's shoulder. Katherine tipped a small amount of the antiseptic onto a cotton ball and dabbed it onto my cut. Wincing, I reached for Lauren's hand. She squeezed it tightly as my nails dug into the back of her hand. Katherine peeled that backing off the patch and lay it over my wound. She smoothed it out and took a step back, admiring her work.

"Did you feel dizzy at all after sustaining the wound?" she asked.

"Yeah. Really dizzy. Then I threw up," I said, releasing my friend.

"Okay," Katherine said. "I'll just inspect you over and then I'm sure you'll be right to go." Nodding, I followed her into the dressing room and sat on the couch. She sat next to me with one of those ear-lighty-things that doctors use. She shone it into one ear, then the other, making a noise of satisfaction. She then did some tests, which consisted of a few pictures and questions. When she was done, she seemed pleased.

"Well, you're perfectly fine. The throwing up and dizziness was more of a shock registration. You may feel a little dizzy later, but do not take Panadol. When you sustain a head injury, it is best to take what comes with it and not try to smother it. If you are sick again, check in with a doctor just to make sure everything is okay." Nodding, I let her stand and leave. She said something to Sam who had appeared in the doorway then left completely. Nicole gave me a smile and followed Katherine out the door. Everyone's eyes turned to me.

"Where did you go?"

"How on Earth did you hit your head?"

"Why are you drenched?" The questions flew at me with an alarming speed.

"Hey!" I exclaimed tiredly. "I went up onto the roof. I fell down one of the peaks and knocked my head into another peak. It was raining." They seemed mildly satisfied. Except for Andy.

"What were you _doing_ up there?" he growled.

"Don't you have to get back on stage?" I hissed, glaring pointedly at him. He wasn't forgiven yet.

"She's right. Get back on that stage," Sam instructed, gesturing over his shoulder. Reluctantly, they left and performed the rest of their show. During this, Sophia had found me a towel and I gratefully dried myself off. At the very end of the concert, as we were walking down the hall, something incredibly horrible happened. Alicia ran from round the corner, stopping dead in front of me.

"See!" she called behind her. "She _is_ here. I told you I heard her voice!"

"Alicia, what the fuck are you…doing…here…?" my voice grew weak as two people walked around the corner.

"You, young lady," my mother said, "are coming home right now."


	6. Chapter 6

AN: I want to thank everyone who has reviewed this stpry so far. You guys are the reason I'm going to keep writing this. Emxxx, melfletcherr and – I owe you one.

**Trouble in Tour-land?**

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Alicia whined. Lauren said she's always hated my sister and apparently, wanted to kick her snobby little behind.

"Shaun, Andy, Bradie. These are my infamous parents," I was getting my strength back after the awful shock. They gaped at my mother and father.

"Catching flies?" Mother asked, snappy and rude.

"Don't talk to them. You might damage their ears," I sneered, crossing my arms.

"How dare you. You are in so much trouble right now," she growled, giving me the I'm-going-to-melt-you-with-my-pathetic-glare look.

"Oh dear!" I exclaimed sarcastically. "What should happen if I was to get in trouble? What shall become of me?" Shaun was hopelessly trying not to laugh as I stepped towards my parents. "You aren't the boss of me anymore. I'm sick of you telling me what I can and can't do." Dad looked furious.

"Don't take that tone of voice with us! Or I'll – "

"You'll do what? Ground me? Send me off to _another_ prison?" Dad stepped forward and glared angrily at me.

"You murdered your own friend! We had every right to send you there! From now on your are under house arrest. You don't speak, see, listen to, watch or associate with anyone outside the household."

"Yeah, cause I'm _really_ going to obey those rules. You two are so stupid! Don't you see that I don't listen to you anymore? I'm not like your perfect little Alicia. I don't care what you say. It goes in one ear and out the other! How can you not realise that I'm – " Mum's hand came up and hit me hard over the cheek. The blow sent me staggering, falling against the wall. I gasped for breath.

"Hey!" Lauren shouted at my mother. "Don't hit her!" Mum glared defiantly.

"Do you want one too?" she asked.

"Don't threaten me! You're not my parents!" With that, Lauren moved forward, shoving my mother backward with incredible force. "That's what it feels like!" she yelled. Sophia moved forward, pulling Lauren back. Blood was trickling from my nose and I could feel my cheekbone throbbing. As I pulled myself to my full height, I smirked at my parents.

"Piss off. I'm not coming home with you and I'm _never_ coming home _again_," I hissed. Alicia looked incredibly smug so Lauren strode up to her, scratched herself, swiped a finger over her fresh blood and dragged it down my sister's cheek. Alicia looked on the verge of tears when Lauren leaned forward towards her ear.

"You know, I never liked you. You're a fucked up little skank and I hope you know everyone thinks you're a stuck up little cow," she growled. Alicia gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth.

"You said bad words!" She cried. Mother looked disgusted.

"How dare you! You know not to swear in front of her!" I laughed without any humour.

"You don't own Lauren. Get. Over. It! You can't protect your special little princess from the real world forever. One day, it'll all come crashing back down on you," I growled. Dad was just about to yell some more but I stepped forward and grasped both my parents hard by their shoulders. "You know what? I'm sick of you being so controlling! I'm leaving your stupid family. I hope you don't make the same mistakes with Jayme that you did with me. Don't give if you make them with Alicia. No one's gonna care anyway. I'll see you in hell…" I shoved them backward with my grip and backed away. I wasn't backing away in fear though. I was backing away to show I was done with them. Done with the people who ruined my life and turned me into a somewhat troubled teenager. Dad stepped towards me though, and glared.

"You don't leave this family until you are an adult. Until then, you are coming home and – "

"Don't care!" I shouted, flipping him off.

"Right!" he started towards me, growing angrier by the seconds. Andy, Shaun and Bradie looked a little afraid but Sophia and Lauren were grinning like mad at me.

"Don't care! Don't care! Don't. Freaking. Care!" My shouts echoed off the walls and reverberated down the corridor. As he reached for me, I hit his arm away and ducked around him before taking off down the corridor, towards the front doors. As I burst into the bucketing rain, I was surprised to see no fans. And no security. I ran into the parking lot and stood in the middle of it, spinning around with my arms outstretched. I was free. No matter what anyone said. Dad was making his way through the sheeting rain towards me, his face red with rage. When he got closer, I bolted for the edge of the building, spotting a ladder. I strode up to it and steadily climbed it. Mother screamed at me and Dad bellowed from below but I kept climbing until I reached the roof. Once there, I swung myself over the edge, stood up and screamed into the night. There were no words, just one long, endless scream. Alicia was blocking her ears from down below and Mother and Dad were staring at me in disbelief. Once I was done, I flipped them off again.

I screamed profanities as loud as I could and disappeared from view. Eventually, I found the manhole that had led me up there beforehand and went back inside the building. Carefully treading down the corridor, I peeked around the corner. Clear. My phone was in my pocket and I literally fished it out. It was dripping wet yet – lo and behold – it was still working. I sent Sophia a text of my whereabouts and met up with them soon after.

"D-did they leave?" I asked them once they'd come.

"Yes. You wouldn't believe it! Alicia was crying because you swore and your mother was in hysterics. You dad was so angry he bowled over Sam. God, you wouldn't believe how mad Sam was after that," Sophia explained, smiling.

"We gotta get you a change of clothes," Andy commented, pulling at my soaked tank top. I snatched it back playfully and grinned. Shaun wolf-whistled. I slapped his arm and he shut up.

"Okay, well I'm f-freaking f-f-freezing now…" I stuttered, the cold sinking into my bones. They agreed and led me back to the dressing room. Once there, they searched for some spare clothes and put together: Andy's t-shirt, Bradie's jeans, Lauren's socks, Shaun's jumper and a spare pair of Sophia's Converse. Gratefully, I went into the bathroom, tugged off my wet clothes and replaced them with the clean, warm, dry ones. Once I trudged back into the dressing room, I looked quite ridiculous. Bradie's jeans were two sizes too big; Shaun's jumper hung down past my butt and Andy's shirt was very baggy – not that they could see. They burst out laughing when I walked in.

"Shut it…" I muttered, dumping my old clothes in a plastic bag. Shaun was simply rolling on the couch and I ambled over to him before wringing out my drenched hair onto him. He stopped laughing and groaned, flicking off all the droplets. Standing over him, I smiled triumphantly and lay my hands on my hips. He grabbed me around the waist and wrestled me onto the couch. I laughed as he began tickling me.

"Piss of, Shaun!" I cried helplessly.

"Ooh. I'm scared!" Somehow, I found myself falling off the edge of the couch and landing on the floor.

"Hey! No fair!" I exclaimed, struggling to a standing position.

"It's not my fault you happened to be on the edge," Shaun replied, gripping my elbow to help me.

"Okay, once we've all shut up," Lauren said. "Can we leave?"

"Yeah. I'm hungry," Bradie complained. Sophia nudged him.

"S'okay Bubba. We'll get you some food soon." Bradie smiled like a five year old and pulled Soph into a hug.

"I wanna go get into my own clothes," I said, rubbing my eyes. Sam walked through the door and looked at us expectantly.

"We're going now so unless you want to stay here, I suggest you come," he said. Grabbing out things, we trooped out after him and to the van.

"Where are all the fans?" Sophia asked as she hopped into the very back seat.

"They were forced away. Told them that the boys would be staying inside until tomorrow morning," Sam replied. I laughed out loud.

"I'm surprised. You'd think that they would stay over night. But then again it _was_ raining and they probably didn't want to get their hair wet," I commented. Andy gave me a small grin and slid in beside me. Because there was one extra person in the van – Sam – there had to be three people in the middle. So Shaun slid in next to Andy, forcing us two together. I was a little uncomfortable but Andy twined his fingers with mine and gave them a reassuring squeeze. I squeezed back and leant against him. He pulled me a little closer and wrapped his arm around my waist, disentangling it from my hand. I breathed in slowly and carefully leaned into him a little. I was so warm that I closed my eyes and in a matter of seconds, I was asleep.

When I woke, it was early, it was dark and I was shivering. The bedroom was freezing. Andy was still asleep next to me, though I could tell he was going to wake up soon. Sleeping in the same bed as him was as awkward as it was weird. I'd known him for a very short amount of time, yet we had already developed a small relationship.

"Andy. Andy!" I whispered, nudging him in the shoulder. He groaned and rolled over, landing on my leg. "Ouch! Fuck! Andy! Get off my fucking leg!" I was struggling to keep my voice quiet. He groggily opened his eyes and rubbed them with his hand.

"Ashli…what are you doing?" he mumbled.

"You're on my fucking leg!" I stage-shrieked. He seemed to wake further and carefully maneuvered himself so he was not crushing me.

"Sorry," he whispered.

"I guess that's okay…" There was an awkward silence. The ones where you hear someone cough or crickets chirp. "Look," I began. "I wanted to talk about what happened yesterday. With my parents." Andy looked scared at the memory.

"Okay," he said doubtfully. I rolled over to my side so I was facing him and tucked my arm under my head.

"What they said was true."

"All of it?"

"All of it."

"Even the part about you killing your friend?" This was the part that pained me the most.

"Yes," I whispered. "Even that."

"You're worse than I thought."

"No! I'm not like that. You don't understand. That wasn't my fault. If I could change anything it would be to have Louise back."

"How," Andy faltered. "How did you…kill her? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to…"

"Maybe…maybe I shouldn't…I mean, I should ask Sophia and Lauren first. They were there too." He nodded and averted my gaze.

"I'm going to get ready…" I mumbled, throwing off the doona and swinging my legs over the side of the bed. I stumbled over to my suitcase and pulled out a pair of shorts along with a clean t-shirt and a hoodie. Once I was dressed and had put on some eyeliner, I went into the main living area. Everyone was sitting around the table, talking in hushed voices.

"What's going on?" I asked, sidling up to them.

"We were talking about the tour," Sophia replied, shooting a glance towards Lauren. I knew that look.

"Guys…what's going on?" There was a pained silence from the boys and another look between my two friends.

"We want to go home." Lauren's voice was soft, guilty. My heart dropped.

"You what?"

"We want to go home," she said a little louder.

"I don't understand. Why?" Sophia took a deep breath.

"That stupid letter. It was true. I miss Jake and Daniel. And Lauren misses Luke and Aaron. We're sick of being on edge because of creepy fans and stupid threats. We don't want to be constantly watched and tracked. It's too stressing," she explained gently.

"Well, what are we going to do?" I whispered.

"We're going to find a way of getting home."

"But we're here _because_ of our homes. We can't just turn around and pretend everything is okay now. Please just think about this. Don't go," I reasoned.

"We have to. It's the only way I'm going to see my brothers again," Lauren said.

"I can't go home. You heard what my parents said. I _can't_ go home." My voice was inching higher and higher in desperation.

"We know. That's why it's only going to be us two. Sophia and I…" Lauren's voice trailed off.

"You're leaving me here?"

"Please don't think of it like that," Sophia begged.

"But that's how it is. You're leaving me here by myself. How could you? We're a band. We stick together!" I protested.

"You haven't exactly been sticking with us lately!" Lauren exclaimed. "What, running off every ten seconds? It's not our fault we have to go."

"Yes it is! No one is making this decision for you. What do you propose I do? Stay here by myself and just sit around waiting for more stalker letters? I don't think so," I shouted, taking a step away.

"Hey, Ash, calm down," Bradie said.

"Calm down? Yeah, sure. I guess that's what I should do instead of storming out of here like a five-year-old."

"We're really sorry, Ashli. We have to do it," Sophia whispered, pain colouring her tone.

"No you don't. You only want to. If you're gonna leave, make sure I'm not there to see you off," I whispered, backing away.

"Ashli! Don't be like that! This is ridiculous!" I ignored the desperate pleas from Sophia and spun on my heel. The front door wasn't too far away and I reached for it, entering the hallway and closing the door behind me. Just as I began to walk, I heard the door open again.

"What are you doing?" Andy's voice rang through the hall. I stayed with my back to him.

"Doing what I always do."

"Why are you being so hard on them? It's not like it's their fault." I laughed once, the sound incredibly off.

"They're leaving me here by myself. They're going back to their homes while I get to stay here and find somewhere to live for the rest of my life. They get to see their cousins and brothers. I don't get to see anyone."

"You're not going to be here by yourself; you've got us three."

"And what am I supposed to do while you're performing? What am I supposed to do without someone who knows what I've been through? How am I supposed to sit back, relax and wait for this whole tour to be over before I can at least _try_ to start my life again?"

"You can go home." I turned to face him.

"Didn't you hear me? I _don't have a home any more_! I was kicked out remember?" Lauren entered the hall then, looking like my mother when she was furious.

"Stop being so childish!" She exclaimed. Glaring, I turned away and ran for the elevators.

"Fine! Leave like you always do!" Lauren exclaimed, running forward. I pressed the button and was thankful when the doors immediately slid open. It began to move down to a lower level and the doors shut again. I could hear Lauren shouting at me for a second then her voice disappeared altogether. When I reached the bottom floor, I bolted into the foyer and out the doors, pushing past employees and other hotel patrons. The street was lit with lights and signs so it was not hard to find my way around. The only problem was that I wasn't in my home city. Eventually, I slowed to a walk. I was in a busier part of the city and there were restaurants lining both sides of the street. My phone was shoved haphazardly in my pocket and it rang multiple times, only to find I ignored its beeping and ringtone. I pulled the hood of my jumper up. With my hands shoved into my pockets, I looked like one of those shifty drug dealers that roamed the dark alleyways. Pedestrians took one glance at me and crossed the street. _Great. _I wandered for hours, hunched over and alone. When I was tired, I huddled against buildings and shops, glaring at the braver pedestrians. My phone rang for the hundredth time and I pulled it out. _Bradie_ the screen read. Reluctantly, I pressed the answer button and held the phone up to my ear.

"Please come back," Bradie said softly. When I didn't answer, he sighed. "Okay, where are you? Please, Ash." I checked the street sign.

"Corner of George street and Abbey lane."

"I'll be there in about five minutes. See you soon – "

"Wait. Please don't bring anyone else. Please Bradie. Promise?"

"Okay, I promise. Bye." I hung up and closed my eyes. Nothing happened after about five minutes and I swore I fell asleep.

"Do you need some help, little lady?" I opened one of my eyes a crack to see a man staring down at me.

"Fuck off."

"You don't mean that. C'mon, what's a young girl like you doing out here all by yourself?" He squatted down in front of me.

"I said fuck off." He grinned and I could smell the foul stench of whisky on his breath.

"Why don't you come with me and I can help you?" He placed his hand on my knee.

"Fuck off!" I screamed, shoving at him. He fell back onto his butt but then rocked forward, grabbing the front of my jumper.

"Now you listen here, missy. You're going to come with me and you're not going to complain got it? Make a noise and you'll get this in your neck," he growled. A small flick-knife glittered in his sleeve and I gulped. He hauled me up by my elbow and tightened his grip.

"Ouch, get the fuck off me!" I got as close as I could to his ear and screamed. He clapped his hands over the side of his head and bent to one knee. His hand shot out and grabbed my calf, the flick-knife sliding out of his sleeve. He grasped it tightly and dug it into my leg. An ear-splitting scream burst through my lips as I sunk to the ground.

"Hey!" I heard a voice cut through the thick fog in my brain. My 'attacker' took one glance and scrambled to his feet, running off down the footpath. "Ashli, are you okay?" Bradie knelt down next to me, one hand on my shoulder.

"He stabbed me. He fucking stabbed me…" My hand found its way to my calf. The man had ripped out the knife and there was blood dribbling out of the fresh gash. Bradie pulled out his phone and called what I thought was '000'. My eyes drooped and I could feel unconsciousness tugging at me with its thick, confusing fog. After what felt like years, I felt myself being lifted onto something relatively soft and wheeled somewhere. From there, everything was a massive blur. Occasionally I saw a few flashes of colour; that was about it. I had no idea where I was or what had happened. So that's why, when I woke up in hospital, I was screaming. A nurse rushed in, looking slightly panicked.

"Where am I?" I screeched, sitting bolt upright.

"Calm down. You're in hospital," The nurse – who I noted was named Julie – said.

"W-why?"

"You were stabbed in the calf a few hours ago."

"Oh." The memories of it all came flooding back. The man, Bradie, the flick-knife.

"I'll send in a doctor soon, okay? Right now you have some guests." Julie opened the door and three people walked in.

"Hey," Shaun said. "Man, you look like shit."

"Thanks for your support, buddy," I replied, smiling a little. He beamed and flopped into one of the chairs by my bed. Bradie and Andy grinned and took the other two seats. I looked at the door, confused. Then I remembered further back than my stabbing.

"They're gone, aren't they?" My voice was very quiet. The boys nodded.

"They left when you did. They caught a tour bus," Bradie explained. "We called them but they didn't answer. Sorry."

"No, that's okay. It's not your fault," I whispered. I shifted and a blinding pain shot through my body. I gasped and grit my teeth together.

"Ash, are you okay?" Andy asked, panicked.

"Yeah…I think. My leg hurts like hell…" I said through clenched teeth.

"Really? No way…" Shaun's sarcasm was enough to piss me off.

"Can you not? Please?" I growled weakly. He sighed a little and nodded.

"Thanks. What time is it?" Bradie checked his phone.

"About eight in the morning. You've been out forages."

"Oh…"

"Okay, boys. She needs to get some rest," Julie said, walking through the door. They nodded and grinned at me.

"See ya. Get better by tomorrow otherwise we're not leaving this building until you do," Shaun said, winking.

"What about all your fans? You're supposed to be performing tomorrow night," I replied.

"We'll just have a change of venue." He had a wicked grin on his face.

"You're gonna have a change of program too," I whispered.

"You can't play bass, sing, play guitar and play drums at the same time by any chance?" Andy asked.

"Yes. Of course I can! Who can't?" Bradie chuckled. "Of course not! That's impossible Andy."

"Okay then. I guess there's going to be another change." Andy sounded honestly upset.

"Excuse me, you're really going to have to leave," Julie said sternly.

"Bye, Ash. Remember: get better!" Shaun gave me a little half-hug and walked out the door.

"Sorry I couldn't have gotten there earlier. Then this wouldn't have happened," Bradie said quietly.

"Bradie, it's not your fault. Okay?"

"Okay. Bye." He too gave me a little hug and left. It was only Andy and I remaining.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there. I should have followed you instead of staying back. It's partly my fault," he whispered.

"No it's not! No one knew this was going to happen. You can't regret anything until you know what's going to happen. Okay?" He nodded, a small smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.

"Okay. Get better or I think Shaun will seriously go through with his threat. Bye." He hugged me and pulled away. After a second of thought, he leant down and touched his lips to my cheek. With a grin, he went out the door. Julie looked at me meaningfully and smiled a little.

"Brothers?" I laughed.

"No. Good friends," I replied.

"I'm guessing one is a little more than a very good friend," she said and left before I could even utter a reply.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Sorry this chapter is so late! My USB decided to be difficult becuase it is new and Word wouldn't open. I didn't really proof-read this chapter because I felt so bad for keeping everyone waiting. So here it is!

**Two fans, Kicked out and Slapped. Could my day be any more eventful?**

I was let out of the hospital the next morning. Shaun was a little pissed off that he couldn't fulfil his threat but in the end, that was probably better for everyone. We were backstage, waiting for Short Stack to go on. There was some tour manager one stage, breaking the news that Hush Hush wouldn't be performing.

"I am afraid to tell you all that Hush Hush will not be performing tonight due to band difficulties," he said into the microphone. There was a chorus of moans and groans. More than I would expect. "So, instead, you will get only Short Stack. I'm sure we're all bummed about that, hey?" There was a lot of screaming. "Well, here they are!" The announcer walked off and beckoned the boys on. They shot me apologetic looks and strode on stage. I watched from the back as they performed their songs. I could see that girls were getting pulled over the barrier at the front because they had either fainted, vomited or were suffering severe shock. It amazed me how those fans were so over the top. Before the show had started, Sonny, Jumpnow and Shannon had gone out onto the stage with a banner, telling everyone to text their e-mail address to that number. At the moment, Andy was calling one of the numbers. (I wasn't quite sure how that worked.) There was a scream from the middle of the expansive crowd.

"Hello?" We could all hear the girl on the other side of the line.

"Hey, I can hear you," Andy replied, looking around. "Where are you?" She held up her hand. "What's your name?"

"Morgan!"

"Okay, Morgan, come up onto…this side of the stage" – he pointed to my side – "and bring one friend. You get to hang out with us after the show!" She screamed again and began to drag her friend through the throng. The boys began to play It's4u and I waited for Morgan to come up. She appeared after about five minutes, looking out of breath and excited.

"Oh my God!" She exclaimed. "You're Ashli from Hush Hush!" I grinned and nodded.

"You know, you're really lucky. Not many people get to hang out with the boys," I practically screamed. You couldn't be heard over the music. She grinned madly and jumped up and down.

"Oh! This is my friend, Leigh!" Morgan yelled. I smiled at the other, shorter girl. Leigh looked just about ready to either faint or cry with exultation. Morgan looked on at the boys in awe, her short, light brown hair dull under the pulsing lights. Leigh's brown-streaked blonde hair was damp with sweat and hung limply below her shoulder blades. I felt kind of sorry for them. They looked only about eighteen but watched the boys with an adoring light in their eyes. They didn't know that Shaun and Bradie had their eyes on two other girls. My heart gave a painful jump in my chest and tears pooled in my eyes. _They're gone. They left you here all by yourself._ My mind said. When there was a very short intermission, Shaun, Andy and Bradie came over to meet the two girls.

"Hey!" Shaun exclaimed over the pumping music to the girls. They squealed and said 'hi' back. Andy gave me a 'what's wrong?' look and I shook my head, plastering a big fake smile to my lips. He looked mildly satisfied and continued to talk with Morgan and Leigh. Once the show was over, we – including Morgan and Leigh – trooped back to the dressing room. Bradie had played a drum solo to the Mario Brother's Theme Tune and Leigh was commending him for his 'totally awesome' drumming. Morgan seemed to be multi-tasking and was talking to both Andy and Shaun at the same time. It slightly bothered me that she was mainly conversing with Andy and was 'making eyes' at him.

"So why didn't your band play?" Leigh's question pulled me out of my venomous thoughts.

"Oh, we…uh…had some difficulties," I stammered.

"What kind of difficulties?" Privacy was a word that obviously did not exist in Leigh's dictionary.

"That's kind of a personal – "

"They had a fight about the tour and the other two wanted to go home," Shaun interjected.

"Shaun!" I exclaimed, shocked.

"What?" he looked innocent enough. I glared half-heartedly at him and shook my head. "What?" he said again, sounding a little annoyed.

"It doesn't matter. I'm going to get some air," I said bluntly and stood, striding into the hall through the open door. Sam gave me a nod as I walked passed him and I waved politely back. Jumpnow and Sonny were sitting close to the stage and I decided to have a chat with them. I hadn't really met them before and I didn't know much about them; apart from the odd thing you learn from Short Stack TV.

"Hey!" Sonny called. "What's up?"

"Hey guys. Nothing much. What about you? The concert's over," I replied, grinning. Jumpnow shrugged.

"Just thought we'd relax and watch all the little fan girls battle each other over Shaun's drink bottle. It's quite amusing," he said.

"Now, Mr. Jennings. That isn't nice," I said condescendingly. Sonny laughed and slapped me a high-five. Jumpnow looked pissed.

"No fair," he sulked.

"Okay, I'm sorry, Baby Boy. See you guys later." They said goodbye and I walked back the way I'd come, grinning as Jumpnow's voice carried down the hall. He was attacking Sonny, it seemed. When I walked back past the dressing room, I heard Andy mutter an excuse. He followed behind but then fell into step beside me.

"What's up?" he asked, shooting a glance towards me.

"Nothing. I'm fine." He gave me a doubtful look.

"I know that face. You're not fine; what's wrong?"

"Nothing! I'm absolutely fine. Okay?"

"No, not okay. Please tell me…" I sighed and gazed over at him. It took me awhile to figure out the right words for what I was feeling. Annoyed? Irritated? Incredibly pissed? No.

"Shaun is just aggravating me," I said slowly, choosing my words carefully.

"How?"

"By what he did. Just giving some random fans information that wasn't his to give." Andy thought for a moment.

"I'm sure he didn't really mean to do that. He was just trying to…be nice?" I laughed once.

"Yeah, sure. Being nice."

"To the two fans, I mean. He seems to really like one of them." I stopped and stared at him.

"Repeat what you just said and listen to yourself," I instructed slowly.

"Why?"

"Just do it, please." He sighed and thought.

"To the two fans. He seems to really like one of them," he repeated. He gazed at me when he was finished and gave me a questioning look. "What's wrong with that?"

"Lauren," I whispered.

"Lauren? What has she got to do with it?"

"Lauren. And. Shaun."

"Lauren and Shaun? They're not – oh. Shit…"

"Yeah. Shit is right," I groaned. I turned on my heel and headed for the dressing room.

"Where are you going?" Andy asked.

"To save Shaun from himself." I stood in the doorway as I arrived at the dressing room. Shaun was conversing with Morgan, leaning towards her, intent on what she was saying. I coughed loudly. Everyone looked up and Bradie grinned at me.

"Shaun, I need to talk to you," I said flatly.

"Can it wait? I'm kind of in the middle – "

"No. Now." He rolled his eyes at Morgan and stood, following me out into the hall.

"What's up?"

"What you're doing is what's up." He looked honestly perplexed.

"What's wrong with what I'm doing?" I ignored his question, aiming for a different approach.

"Do you like Morgan?" He thought.

"Yeah, I like her."

"Do you think she's hot?"

"Yeah. She is pretty hot," he replied, grinning.

"Would you date her?"

"Totally." When I frowned he looked a little astonished. "What?"

"You incredibly selfish fuck!" I shouted. He took a step backwards and held up a hand.

"What have I done wrong?!" he exclaimed.

"What have you done wrong? Are you kidding me Shaun?!"

"No I'm not kidding!" he had begun yelling too. "_What have I done?_"

"Lauren!" He was back to being confused.

"What has Lauren got to do with this?!" I threw my hands up.

"Lauren! The girl who you seem to like! The girl who has had a crush on you for the past months!" I shouted, advancing towards him. Shaun looked like I'd slapped him across the cheek.

"Lauren?"

"Yes, Lauren!"

"Lauren." He was quiet now.

"Lauren!"

"Lauren."

"Stop fucking saying her name!"

"Don't all psycho bitch on me!"

"I'll go as psycho bitch as I want!" I stepped forward, shoving him against the wall. Morgan, Bradie and Leigh were standing in the doorway, staring at us. Shaun used the wall to propel himself forward and grabbed my arm.

"I haven't done anything," he growled close to my ear.

"Yes you have! Hitting on that slut, you dickhead!" Shaun wrapped his fingers tighter around the top of my arm and squeezed. "Get off me," I hissed. He just held me tighter. "I said get off me!" my hand came up and hit his cheek. He stumbled backwards, his hand plastered to his face. I rubbed my arm and glared at him.

"Hey guys. What's happened?" Andy came round the corner, sensing the tension in the air instantly. No one replied. "Guys?"

"Nothing," I responded in monotone. "Nothing happened."

"Uh…okay then. Sam will be here in about ten minutes." Andy shot a look to Bradie who shook his head minutely. One of the security guards strode up to us.

"Time's up," he said to Morgan and Leigh. They looked a little disappointed but moved to follow the security guard. Morgan took a discreet glance at Shaun and winked. When he purposefully didn't meet her gaze, she glared over at me. I glared back, flipping her off. Leigh smiled at Bradie and the two left. It was quiet for what seemed like years.  
"Something happened." Andy's statement held no question. I nodded stiffly. Shaun was staring a hole into the ground, not moving at all. "And it wasn't good?" Tears welled in my eyes and I tried to hold them back. My attempt was futile and a fat salty droplet sprang free of my grasp. I pushed past Andy and Bradie, moving to the bathroom. When I got inside, I stumbled over to one of the sinks. My tears fell free, snaking down my cheeks. Sobs tore out of my throat and through my lips. There was a knock on the door.

"Ashli!" Andy's voice was muffled but I could still hear that he was desperate and confused. I stared at myself through the mirror. There were three red lines around the top of my arm and my make-up was running. I had no clue on earth why I was crying like I was. There was really no reason for me to be upset.

"…there isn't going to be any other girls in there…" I heard from outside.

"But it's a _girl's_ bathroom…"

"Stuff the girls then. I'm sure they'll be more than happy to see me." The door swung open and Andy marched in, looking shocked when he saw my tears.

"Hey…" he whispered, pulling me against him. "What's wrong?" I buried my face into his shoulder, my hands lying limp on his chest.

"I-I don't really kn-know…" I sobbed.

"Then why are you crying?" he sounded baffled.

"Sh-shaun." Andy instantly switched from caring to defensive.

"What did he do?" his voice was like ice – cold and sharp. I pulled away a little and dragged up the sleeve of my t-shirt. Andy's fingers skimmed over the lines and I kept my eyes on the ground.

"Shaun did this to you?" I nodded once. "I'll be back then – "

"No! I'm sure he d-didn't really m-mean to do it…" I said, grabbing his wrist. A doubtful look entered his eyes. I tried desperately to get rid of any signs that I was lying.

"Okay…fine." He pulled me back in for another hug. Even though I knew he would probably 'have some words' with Shaun later on, I certainly didn't want to be there.

"Uh, guys?" I heard Bradie knock tentatively on the door.

"You _can _come in, you know," Andy muttered. Ignoring this, Bradie continued.

"Sam is here. He's gonna take us back to the hotel now," he said.

"We'll be out in a minute" I replied.

"He kind of wants you now…"

"Fine then, a second," Andy said, cutting off my response. Bradie seemed satisfied and left. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"I told Shaun what he was doing and he got angry at me. Then I went kind of psycho bitch and slapped him…" I explained, trailing off. I looked up at Andy, his face a mixture of amusement and confusion.

"But why did you get pissed in the first place?" I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"Because he was hitting on that Morgan slut. You don't mess around with my friends and get away with it." We pulled apart again and I crossed my arms over my chest.

"You sound so cliché. C'mon, let's go before Bradie has a meltdown." He draped an arm over my shoulders and steered me out into the hall. We went to the dressing room to retrieve our things but instead found everyone piled in there. Shaun was on the couch, holding a bloody tissue to his nose.

"Did I do that?" I whispered to Sonny as I passed him. He grinned at me and nodded.

"It was way worse before. Practically flooding down his face," Sonny replied. Sam looked at with an odd light in his eyes. I averted his gaze as quickly as possible and settled on the carpet.

"Alright, we'll take care of this later," Sam said. "But for now, we have a hotel to get back to." He helped Shaun off the couch and led him to the door where Andy and I were standing. Andy, Bradie and I scooped up our belongings and trooped out the door after Sam and Shaun. Unfortunately, this time there were fans waiting for the boys. The 'Shaun Girls' gasped when they saw the bloody tissue plastered to his nose. Sam held up a hand and yelled for attention.

"Out of the way!" he yelled. When no one moved but kept shouting for the boys, he shouted again. "Out of the way!" Some girls finally noticed and stepped aside. Sam stepped forward and almost dragged Shaun behind him. As I was sandwiched between Andy and Bradie, I couldn't really tell what was happening. I saw papers and pens being thrust at Andy and he graciously signed a few various items. When we reached the van, there were hordes more fans surrounding it. We managed to yank open one of the doors and Andy literally pushed me in. I scrambled over to the opposite side to make room. Andy was in next, followed closely by Bradie then Shaun. Sam somehow got into the front seat and started the van. With four people crammed into a backseat, which barely seated three, it was very uncomfortable. I squirmed against the door and tried to make a little room. Giving up, I wormed off the seat and sat on the floor.

"Hey! Get on that seat!" Sam instructed, blaring the horn at some driver.

"No. It's too fucking squished!" I replied, settling into the corner. Andy chuckled under his breath and nudged me with the toe of his shoe. As I brought my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them, we went over a relatively large speed bump and I jolted, hitting my head against the door.

"Ouch!" I exclaimed, holding my head. Shaun and Andy were rolling with laughter and I could tell Bradie was smothering it. "Shut up," I mumbled, settling back into my corner.

"I'm sure they don't mean it," Bradie soothed, looking at me seriously.

"My grandma's ass they don't mean it."

"Get back in the seat!" Sam yelled at me.

"You get back in the seat!" I exclaimed.

"I'm already in a seat!"

"Does it look like I give a – "

"Fan chicks!" Shaun exclaimed, plastering a hand to the window. The passing car held about three sixteen-year-old girls who were clearly avid fans. They were screaming so loud that even we could hear them. With Shaun repeating the phrase 'Fan chicks!' over and over again, Andy pissing himself laughing, Sam telling me to 'get back in the seat' and Bradie complaining about all the noise, I could barely even hear myself think. I clapped my hands over my ears and shouted incoherently. I had no clue on earth what I was saying; my aim was to make noise. Eventually, I became incredibly annoyed with it all.

"Shut up!" I screamed. Andy laughed harder and Shaun dragged his eyes from the fans. Bradie looked at me, confusion in his eyes. "Just shut up! My god! You are all so fucking loud!" There was finally silence. I gazed at all three boys, reprimanding them with my eyes.

"Get back in that seat." Sam's voice came from the front.

"No!"

"Get back in that seat or I'm going to pull over and throw you out."

"Why are you making such a big deal about it?" I asked, exasperated.

"Because you're breaking the law!" Sam replied.

"I break the law three times a day and you never complain."

"I don't care. Get back in that seat!"

"No!"

"Fine!" I could feel the van swerve to the side and come to a halt. "Out." Sam said sternly.

"What?" I laugh once without humour.

"Get. Out."

"You can't just kick her out!" Andy exclaimed, leaning forward.

"Watch me. Out now." Sam turned to look at me.

"She's staying here," Bradie said. "You're not kicking her out."

"I'm not going anywhere!" I exclaimed.

"Get out!" Sam roared. Startled, I fell silent.

"No. She isn't going anywhere. You're can't just kick her out," Andy repeated.

"She isn't wanted here anymore," Shaun said quietly, fiercely. "If no one wants her then she has to go."

"What?" Andy whispered.

"Shaun, what are you talking about?" Bradie was shocked.

"She isn't wanted. Get out," Shaun said to me.

"Fine. I don't need to be told again," I said stonily, turning and opening the door.

"You don't have to go." Andy caught my arm and held me back.

"I'm not wanted. I have to go." Disentangling myself from his grasp, I jumped out onto the road. Leaning against the door, I glared at Shaun.

"Go," Shaun repeated.

"Dickhead," I spat and slammed the door shut. Bradie and Andy began a yelling match against Shaun and Sam. Not wasting any time, I hitched my bag over my shoulder and took off. We were on a short freeway sort of thing where – coincidently – it was illegal to walk on the side of it. Considering the freeway was full of cars and there was no pavement. I ran in the same direction that we had been going, trying to keep to the shadows. Eventually I found a break in the sound barriers that lined the freeway and ducked into it. I had no clue where I was. It seemed I was on a residential street and I continued down to the end. There, I looked across the intersection. About a street over was the main road of the town so I made my way there. For a late Friday night, everything was very busy. People roamed the various clubs and bistros, talking with friends and laughing very loudly. From my position on the corner of two roads, I could see a newsagency and made a beeline for it.

"A newsagents open at eleven thirty at night. Who would've thought?" I said to myself, entering the shop. There was a very tired looking teenager sitting at the counter who seemed to cheer up considerably when I walked in.

"Hey," he said tentatively.

"Hi. Do you have any idea how to get to the Grand Hotel from here?" I asked, leaning against the counter. He thought for a moment and pointed to the right.

"About four kilometres that way," he said.

"Thanks…"

"Reg." I rose my eyebrows.

"Thanks Reg," I said and smiled at him. He went bright red and attempted to smile back. I left the shop and continued in the direction that Reg had told me. Four kilometres. I thought back to the days I would walk home. It took me usually half an hour and that was when I walked a kilometre. So four kilometres would take two hours. Great.

After about an hour and a half of solid running, I began to feel very exhausted. I had no water or food to keep me going. At the moment, I was on the outskirts of the city in a fairly posh area. No one was around and all the lights in the houses I passed were off. There was a street light every ten metres or so, but other than that, I was in darkness. Eventually, I came into the city. There were still many people about considering the hour and I found that comforting. After another ten minutes, I found a shop that was close to our hotel and my heart leaped. My phone rang, interrupting my euphoria. It had rung many times during my journey but I had ignored it. And I did so again. As I rounded a corner and then turned left, I came to our hotel. I stumbled into the entry and over to the elevators.

"Oh my!" the desk clerk exclaimed, standing. "Are you okay?"

"Yes I'm…absolutely fine…" I replied. "Just let me…get upstairs…" As the doors slid open and I punched in my floor, I really felt the exhaustion settling in. When the elevator 'dinged' and the doors opened, I almost crawled to my door. Seeing as no one had given me a key card, I had to knock again. And again. And again. Yet no one answered. I lay on the ground outside the door, hitting it with my fist every now and then.

"Open up!" I yelled. "Open up!"

After fifteen minutes, I heard the elevators open and footsteps come down the hall. Then laughter broke through the air. Someone bent over me and I glared up at them.

"You look like crap," Andy commented, grinning down at me.

"Fuck off," I growled. He held out a hand to help me up and I too it gratefully. As I staggered to a standing position, I saw Shaun almost cowering against the wall. Bradie stepped in front of me and gave me a quick hug. Laughing, I hugged him back. Sam came up from the elevators and produced a key card, letting us into the room. Now that Sophia and Lauren had gone, I had a room to myself. So the first thing I did was have a shower and change into a clean pair of skinnys and t-shirt. When I went back into the kitchen, towel drying my hair, and sat down at the table.

"You don't own anything other than skinny jeans, do you?" Bradie asked, taking a bite of a doughnut. I shook my head.

"Nope. They are the only type of pants – other than shorts – that I own." He grinned and held out his doughnut.

"Want a bite?" I bent forward and took a chunk out of it. Mm…cinnamon. "You right there?" Bradie questioned, gazing forlornly down at the remainder of his food.

"I'm fine," I replied, standing. "Where is everyone?"

"Shaun and Andy and Sam went into Andy's room to 'talk'," he said. "I left when they began to yell."

"This better not be about me," I warned.

"You want the good news or the bad news?"

"Both?"

"It is about you _but_ not about the tour or anything." I grinned and nodded.

"Good."

"I'd hate to think what would happen to them if they were saying bad things about you," Bradie muttered.

"Sorry, what was that? I think you were muttering," I said, putting a hand to my ear, grinning.

"Nothing! Nothing…" Laughing again, I went and sat in front of the TV, flicking the channel to [V]. Sweet December was playing and I turned the volume almost to full. Bradie came and sat next to me, dancing and air drumming while I belted out the lyrics. Then it got to a part in the song (where there was only Bradie's drumming behind Shaun's singing) and we both stood, clapping in time to the beat and singing loudly. When the song ended and the burning teddy bear was on the screen, Bradie and I fell back onto the couch, laughing. There was a knock on the wall and we both shot up straight.

"Nice dance moves," Shaun commented to me, moving behind the couch. I sat still, staring stonily at my hands. "Come on, you can still talk to me." Looking up at him, I glared.

"Fuck off."

"So you're pissed at me."

"Pissed? Incredibly angry. Extremely pissed." A civil conversation was not what I had in mind.

"Why are you 'incredibly angry' and 'extremely pissed' with me?"

"Why do you think, dumbass?"

"Hey! I'm only trying to have a conversation with you!" He protested, throwing his hands up.

"You kicked me out! You fucking kicked me out!" I exploded, standing. Bradie grabbed my wrist, trying to drag me back down. I gently shook him off, not taking my eyes of Shaun.

"It wasn't my fault!"

"Not your fault? You said no one wanted me! You said I had to go! But of course, you being the better person here decided to clear it all away like nothing happened!"

"I only did it because Sam wanted you out!" I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms.

"So is Sam your daddy now? Do you follow his every order and listen to every word that comes out of his sorry ass mouth?" Unfortunately, Sam emerged from Andy's bedroom, red in the face.

"What did you say I am?" he demanded, glaring at me.

"That you're a complete dick with a sorry ass mouth that hasn't done any good to this world!" I shouted. "I've fucking had it with you! You order me around like a doll and pretend that you're the boss of everything that ever walked the Earth! Well you're not! You're nothing more than a body guard for a band!" Sam, enraged, strode over and stood next to Shaun. His hand came up and hit me over the cheek. I stumbled and fell to my knees. Bradie was staring at me, eyes wide. Andy came into the room and took in the unfolding scene. Obviously, when he saw me on the ground, he became concerned and rather pissed.

"What happened?" he asked. No one spoke and it reminded me of when I'd slapped Shaun. "What happened?!" Bradie looked at his stepbrother with an odd emotion in his eyes. Fear. That's what it was. Shock coursed through my body and I sat, rigid, on my butt on the ground. So suddenly, I stood and jumped onto the couch, grabbing Sam by the front of his shirt. My fist came back and forward, hitting him anywhere I could. After a second, it seemed that time had snapped. Andy and Shaun grabbed at me from both sides whereas Bradie took hold of my legs. Still, I fought back, tackling Sam from the front. He caught my arm and dragged me over the back of the couch. I landed with a thud on the floor and hurried to straighten myself. Hitting Sam again, he tightened his grip on me.

"Get the fuck off me," I growled, spitting blood at him. He hit me over the cheek again and when my knees buckled from the force, he held me up by my arm. "Get off me!" I punched him again, scoring his cheek. Not fussed, he squeezed his fingers tighter around my wrist.

"You are going to listen now and listen well," Sam hissed.

"Fuck you," I growled. Bradie made an odd noise when Sam hit me again. Andy had stepped forward, watching us with shock covering his face. Shaun, however, was rigid and stared at the trail of blood from my nose and mouth.

"St-stop…" Bradie stammered, standing shakily. "She hasn't done anything wrong." Sam glanced at each of the boys and reluctantly let me go. I swayed on my feet yet nobody made a move to help me.

"One more chance," he hissed and straightened up, heading for the door. When he was gone, I fell to my knees, losing all control. Again, nobody moved. Staring blankly at a spot in front of my knees, I didn't notice the tears rolling down my cheeks. Blood trickled down onto my neck and stained the top of my shirt. Bradie was the first one to snap out of the shock that had settled over the room. He walked unsteadily around to my side and kneeled next to me. For a few seconds, he only stared at me, probably trying to think of something to say. Eventually, he took a deep breath.

"Fuck." I was inwardly startled. Bradie swearing? I shifted my eyes to see if it was really him. Yes, it was. Andy came over my other side, pushing Shaun out the way. Gently, he shook me.

"C'mon, get up," he said softly. Shaking my head, I stayed put. "Please?" The desperation in his voice was so painful to hear that I looked up at him. He himself looked like he was about to cry. My eyes shifted to Shaun. His face was twisted into shock and horror, mouth gaping. "Please?" Andy repeated. My head titled in a poor approximation of a nod and he helped me to my feet. I found my legs were still weak and leaned heavily against him for support.

"What do we do?" Bradie asked worriedly. Andy held my waist.

"Clean her up? I don't know…" he replied, brining me over to the table and sitting me down on a chair.

"What's wrong with her?" Shaun asked tentatively.

"She's probably in shock," Bradie said, hostility clear in his voice. Andy went to the sink and grabbed a roll of paper towel, tearing off pieces and wetting them. He then brought them back to the table and sat in front of me.

"Open your mouth," he instructed gently. Doing as he said, a fresh trail of blood dribbled down my chin. "I think Sam may have knocked a tooth or something. He did split her lip though," Andy said. Bradie stood behind him, worry creasing his brow. Tiredness swept over my brain, constricting it ever so slowly. My eyes drooped and closed for the last time, as the voices of my friends disappeared behind me.


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Sorry I haven't updated in a while. There was Christmas and all that. I know, not a very good excuse, but anyway, I hope you all like this chapter :D

**A car ride with a kiss. **

Andy POV

She just fell asleep! Just like that! Her body slumped forward and I jumped up to catch her. Ashli wasn't heavy, but she weighed just enough to make me stumble when I caught her.

"What do I do with her?" I asked Bradie, ignoring Shaun when he offered to carry her for me.

"Put her to bed would be my best guess," my stepbrother replied, eyeing her. Shrugging minutely, I hoisted Ashli to a standing position and scooped her up into my arms. She shifted and buried her head into my chest, making a small noise. Bradie held the door open for me and I brought her to her bed. As I lay her down, she moaned softly. Just as I turned to go, she made a noise of protest.

"Andy…" she mumbled. "Stay with me. Please. I don't want him to come back…" her voice was barely audible and I had to bend down to hear her words properly.

"Uh…I-I don't know – "

"Please." Her eyes fluttered and she gazed up at me through her half-closed lids. Shooting a pleading glance towards Bradie, he shrugged and closed the door. I sighed in defeat and lay down next to her. A small smile pulled at her stained red lips and she mouthed two words. _Thank you_. Grinning, I watched as she dropped back into unconsciousness. After a while, I could feel my eyelids drooping shut and my breathing growing heavier. In a matter of seconds, I was asleep.

Ashli POV

_Oh, crap! My head hurts!_ I groaned and peeled open my eyes. It was dark and it took me some time to adjust. Looking to my right, I checked the clock. 4:45 p.m. Woah. I'd been out for way over twelve hours. Stretching, I hit something hard.

"Ouch!" Andy exclaimed. Andy?

"What are you doing here?!" I almost shrieked. He looked a little stunned in the small amount of light that peeped through the drawn curtains.

"You wanted me to stay here," he replied hoarsely. "Last night…"

"Oh. What happened?"

"You and Sam got into a fight I think," Andy explained, rubbing a hand along his jaw. I prodded at my aching nose and flinched when it hurt like heck.

"Ow!" I cried.

"What?"

"My nose feels like it's broken. Who hit me?"  
"You honestly don't remember?" Confusion was clear in Andy's tone.

"Would I be asking if I knew?"

"I guess not. It was Sam." I was shocked.

"Sam hit me? What? Why?" There was silence.

"I honestly don't know. You'll have to ask Bradie; he was there." With that, he stretched and stood, making for the door.

"Andy?" He turned. "Thanks." A grin stretched the corners of his mouth and he went into the living room, shutting the door behind him. Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I felt a wave of nausea pass through me.

"Woah…" I mumbled, swaying on the spot. Stumbling over to the bathroom, I stared at myself in the mirror and gasped. Blood practically coated my mouth, nose and chin, a trail of it down my neck. My nose was slightly puffy and I could feel a loose tooth in the back of my mouth. "Shit." Leaning forward, I attempted to wash away all the blood without aggravating my wounds, which proved very difficult. Once I deemed myself relatively clean, I changed into a new t-shirt and went into the living room. Shaun, Andy and Bradie were all sitting around the dining table, eating what looked like…salad? Something was going on here.

"Since when, do you eat salad?" I asked directing the question at all three.

"She wakes!" Bradie exclaimed, getting up and moving over to me for a hug. "Wow, you okay?" he asked once he pulled away. I nodded a little.

"I think so. My nose feels like it got run over by a train. And my tooth kills," I complained. He laughed and gently pushed me towards the table. Andy grinned up at me and pat the seat to his right. I dropped into it and rose an eyebrow at him.

"Since when do you eat salad?" I repeated. He shrugged.

"Thought I would try to be healthy this tour," Andy replied seriously. I stared at him for a second. Then burst into hysterical laughter. Everyone stared at me, doubting whether I was mentally stable or not. I rocked back and forth, holding my sides and stomach. After about half a minute, I sat up, wiping tears from my eyes.

"You should never joke about things like that, Andy," I said, giggling. He looked at me seriously again.

"I wasn't."

"You…weren't?" He nodded and I burst into laughter again. This time, I stopped when I realised everyone was staring at me.

"I really am trying to be healthy," Andy said again. I bit my lip and dug my fingernails into my palm to stop from laugh again.

"There's nothing wrong with your 'health' though," I said. He looked at me doubtfully and shook his head.

"That's not what some people think," Shaun chided.

"Piss off," I told him, shooting him a sideways glare. He rolled his eyes and stood, striding confidently towards the front door.

"Where are you going?" Bradie asked. "We have to leave in an hour!"

"I'll be back before then!" Shaun exclaimed, giving him an exasperated look.

"You better. Or else Sam isn't going to be very happy with – " Bradie was cut off by the slamming door.

"One day," I growled, "I'm going to knock some sense into that boy."

We were two hours into our trip back to Melbourne to perform another two shows. For some reason, they boys decided to play an extra two shows in Melbourne because the first three had all been sold out. Of course, I had no idea why they were going back so close to the previous concerts, but it was not up to me. Sam was driving, Shaun and Bradie were in the middle and Andy and I were in the back. For nearly the whole trip, Bradie had been asleep and Shaun and Andy were constantly popping little things into his mouth. I scolded them once or twice, but then gave up on it and decided to read instead. Unfortunately, Andy decided to sing along with the radio, attempting to dance with me. At first it was kind of annoying, but after awhile he moved across a seat, attempting to serenade me with a soppy Taylor Swift love song. I laughed and put my bookmark into my book, closing it and stowing it away in my bag. Turning to face him, I crossed my legs and leant back against the window. He was closer than I expected, hands closing around my own. He twined his fingers with mine, grinning like mad. I could feel my cheeks flushing red and my eyes moved up to meet his own. The song ended and I could feel myself laughing, shoulders shaking. Struggling to keep a straight face, I blinked a few times. Andy moved closer, keeping his eyes locked on mine. His hands disentangled themselves from my grip, one cupping the back of my neck, the other sliding onto my waist. I didn't register what was happening until I felt Andy's lips softly and gently brush my own. After a second, he pulled away, winked and scrambled out of the van. We'd come to a stop at a rest area so Shaun could go to the bathroom. Frozen to my seat, I touched a finger to my tingling lips, eyes wide with shock.

"Coming?" I gasped, head spinning to register the intruder. Bradie smiled awkwardly at me, bracing a hand against the door frame. "Or are you just gonna sit here all night?"

"Oh…uh…yeah. Right," I stammered, ducking out onto the ground. My legs were cramped and it felt good to stretch them as we walked over to where Sam and Andy were seated. "Did you – "

"Your secret's safe with me," Bradie said, grinning. "Though it does creep me out a bit that you were kissing my step-brother…" I thwacked him gently on the arm.

"Don't be mean. There's nothing really wrong with him…" I replied. We both glanced at each other and burst out laughing. When we arrived at the picnic table, we were certainly receiving odd looks from Sam. Andy, not so much.

"Where's Shaun?" I asked, pinching a Skittle from the large packet open on the table.

"Bathroom," Andy replied, grinning. I sank down onto the seat next to Andy and took another Skittle, chewing on my original one. Leaning my elbows on the table-top, I gazed up at the rapidly darkening sky. Little white stars were popping up all over the place, intricate shapes and patterns appearing alongside them. Bringing my arms back down to my sides, I felt someone slip their hand into mine, clasping the two together. Leaning a little on Andy, I felt instantly safe and comfortable.

"Hey…what did I miss?" Shaun sounded happy as he entered our line of vision.

"Nothing. We better get going," Sam said, standing and stretching. Following his movements, everyone started for the van. Just in time, I snatched up the bag of Skittles, clutching it to my chest so Shaun couldn't grab any. Andy almost had to tow me along when I lagged behind to pick up the guitar-pick-on-a-chain that had unclasped and slipped off from around my neck. There was no way I could lose it. It was the first pick I'd ever owned; the first pick I'd played bass guitar with. We all clambered back into the van, resigning to our previous seats until Bradie complained Shaun took up too much room. They fought for almost half an hour when I intervened.

"Okay, Shaun, swap with me," I instructed, unbuckling my seatbelt and climbing over the back of the seat. Shaun and I hadn't 'truced' yet, but I was willing to at least attempt to put it past us. He did the same and settled next to Andy.

"No fair," Andy whined. "How come I have to sit next to Shaun?"

"Because you're a bwave wittle boy," I replied, talking to him like he was a two-year-old.

"Ha-ha. Funny," he said sarcastically, glaring at me half-heartedly. Smiling sweetly, I turned back to the front and closed my eyes. From what I gathered, I'd fallen asleep for roughly twenty minutes when something hit me hard on the back of my head. Eyes flying open, I spun around to see Shaun smiling at me guiltily.

"What was that?" I groaned, rubbing the sore spot that had sprung up.

"His foot," Bradie answered from next to me.

"Why the heck did you hit me with your foot?"

"It wasn't my fault! He pinched me!" Shaun exclaimed, pointing a finger at Andy.

"Did not!" Andy protested, glaring at his friend.

"Yes you did!"

"I did not!"

"Okay!" I shouted over them. "Shaun, swap seats with me."

"Why? I want to sit next to _you_," Bradie whined, grabbing my wrist.

"Well _I_ want to sit next to her!" Andy exclaimed.

"No you don't! You only want to sit next to her so you can make ou – " Shaun began, being cut off by a shove from Andy.

"I do not!" Andy protested, scowling.

"Yes you do!"

"Okay! Just be quiet!" I yelled exasperatedly. "Shaun! Get your ass into this seat right now or you're sitting with Sam for the rest of the trip!" Reluctantly, Shaun climbed over the back of the seat, mumbling something incoherent and probably very rude. I clambered into the back and settled down next to Andy. He grinned and winked at me. Returning the grin, I leant back against the head rest and closed my eyes again. We were stopped at a traffic light and I could see the street lights through my eyelids.

"Are you asleep?" I could hear the whisper of Andy close to my ear around ten minutes later. Chuckling, I opened one eye.

"I'm not now."

"Oh, sorry…" He leaned away and gave me an apologetic smile.

"That's okay. It's too bumpy anyway. Kept hitting my head," I replied, sitting up. "Something up?" He shook his head.

"No. Just wanted someone to talk to," he replied honestly. I laughed.

"Okay then. What do you want to talk about?"

"What do _you_ want to talk about?"

"Hey! I asked you first. You can't avoid the question," I said, mock-frowning.

"Says who?"

"Says me!" I raised an eyebrow, daring him to retaliate. A wicked light entered his eyes and he grinned devilishly.

He reached out and began to tickle me, his fingers grabbing for me as I tried to squirm out of the way.

"Everyone out! We're getting dinner!" Sam called, pulling up in front of a McDonalds. As I was still being attacked, it was hard for me to scramble over the seat and get out of the door. Landing on the tarmac with a thud, I raced past Shaun, Bradie and Sam. I could hear Andy's feet hitting the ground as he got closer and closer. As I reached the doors to the fast food restaurant, I slammed into them and exploded into the front area. My pursuer had caught up with me and grabbed me around my waist, lifting my feet off the ground. I laughed and wrapped my own hands around his. People stared at us and gave us funny looks, shifting in their seats. Bradie, Shaun and Sam appeared not long after and strode up to the counter. They managed to drag Andy and I over with them.

"Hi, how can I help you?" The young teen at the register said.

"Hey, can we have four cheeseburger happy meals with Sprite," Shaun said, pulling his wallet from his back pocket. The girl nodded, smiled and punched a few things into the register.

"That will be eight dollars fifty," she said, holding out her hand, palm up. Shaun pulled out a ten and placed it into her hand. As she opened the cash register to retrieve some change, she grinned almost to herself. "You guys are Short Stack, right?" The boys gave each other apprehensive looks and nodded.

"The one and only," I chimed in, smiling at the girl.

"And you're Ashli from Hush Hush!" she exclaimed, recognising my voice, no doubt. I nodded, afraid she would freak out like normal teenage girls would.

"Wow, I can't believe this…Short Stack in McDonalds. I'll grab your food." That was it? No screaming or 'Oh. My. God! It's Short Stack!' repeatedly? Glancing at the three boys, they shot me looks of sheer relief. The girl returned with a tray of our food and smiled.

"Thanks, you guys just made working here for seven hours a day seem much brighter," she said.

"Any time," Shaun said, pretending to tip a hat. We waved good bye and found a table nestled into the corner. I slid into the booth, followed by Andy then Bradie. Shaun and Sam took the two chairs opposite to the booth.

"Why did you order Happy Meals?" I asked, eyeing the four colourful boxes.

"Just a guess. Plus anyway, they don't hurt my wallet," Shaun replied, pulling one of the boxes towards him. Sam snatched one off the tray and held it to his chest like a prize. Sitting forward, I opened one of the remaining two boxes and fished out the chips, placing them on a serviette in front of me. Then I grabbed for one of the Sprites, taking a long sip. Andy and Bradie fought for the box with both the chips and cheeseburger, but Bradie won, saying that Andy claimed he was going to be healthy this tour. So, rather pissed, Andy snatched up the cheeseburger and sat it in front of him, gazing at it forlornly. Slowly eating my chips, I checked the time, pulling my phone out of my pocket. There were six messages and two missed calls flashing on the screen. I tapped 'ignore' and continued on my hunt for the hour. 8:10 my phone read. There was a flash in front of my eyes and I looked up, startled. Sam was eating, Shaun was grinning, Bradie was eating and Andy was looking slightly suspicious. A small yellow stick was pinched between his forefinger and thumb. It looked like…a chip!

"Hey!" I exclaimed. "You stole my chips!" Andy grinned and popped the other stolen piece of food into his mouth. "No fair! Give that back!"

He laughed.

"Do you really want it back?" I thought for a moment.

"No. You owe me then…" Picking up his unguarded cheeseburger, I took a bite out of it then lay it back down.

"Hey! That's my cheeseburger!" Andy protested, frowning like a little kid. I chewed and swallowed before answering.

"Well, those were my chips," I said simply. An evil smile tugged at his mouth and he reached out, prodding me with his fingertips. I squirmed away, trying to stop the laughter that was bursting through my lips.

"Stop!" I gasped. "Please…stop!"

"Not until you give me what you owe," Andy laughed, tickling me more.

"What…do I…owe?" He didn't hesitate before answering.

"A kiss."

"A WHAT?!" I half shrieked, attempting to push away his hands.

"Kiss."

"No way!"

"Fine then." Andy tickled me more, almost sending me onto the ground.

"Okay…OKAY!" I laughed. He pulled away, gazing at me expectantly. Leaning forward, I pecked him on the cheek. A blush crept up my neck and to my cheeks, making me feel self-conscious. He pulled up one corner of his mouth.

"Wrong spot, Babe." Giving him a pleading look, he shook his head. I leaned forward again, mentally kicking myself for agreeing to it. I noticed that Shaun, Sam and Bradie were watching intently. As well as some other teenage girls who were probably Short Stack fans. Laying one hand on the top of Andy's arm, I gripped the hem of my shorts with the other. Andy's eyes narrowed as I got closer and he closed the few remaining centimetres between our noses. Our lips brushed together softly once, twice, a third time, sending a tingling sensation through my body. His hand moved from my waist to the back of my head, securing me to him. My eyes had closed with the kiss and my grip on Andy's arm had tightened considerably. There was an uncomfortable cough from across the table and we broke apart hastily. My cheeks weren't burning as much as I had originally thought, which was a bonus on my part.

"That was…interesting?" Shaun stammered, shifting in his seat.

"Try sitting next to it! I'm going to have nightmares now!" Bradie exclaimed, looking absolutely horrified. Sam kept his head down, pretending it never happened; at least in front of his eyes. The front doors banged against their hinges and a girl walked in. She wore hot pink Converse, a pair of denim three-quarter pants and a grey t-shirt. My eyes came to rest on her face. Her blonde-tipped brown hair was wavy and came to her mid back, pronouncing her bright blue eyes. I rose and slipped out of the booth. She scanned the room, searching for someone. Then she saw me, a small smile tugging at her mouth. She came closer, daring to hold out her arms for a hug. Smiling radiantly, I hugged her, almost crying with joy.

"Rianna!" I exclaimed, laughing.

"Ashli!" She squealed.

"I have some people you have to meet," I said, dragging her over to the table. "Andy, Bradie, Sam, Shaun – "

"Rianna. What are you doing here?" Shaun's voice held disbelief, cutting off mine,

"Oh!" Rianna said. "Didn't see you there Shaun! How've you been, honey?"


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Okay everybody, I have bad news. I am going away for two weeks with no Internet and no way of updating my story…BUT that means Chapter Ten will be long and packed full of excitement and fun *gasp* I promise that as soon as I get home I'll update. I am really sorry

I also wanted to thank these people who have reviewed my story:

Emxxx (multiple times)

Melfletcherr (multiple times)

(multiple times)

Emily (multiple times)

Katie

Leisey

Rainonherparade (multiple times)

**Unexpected surprises can be either very good…or very bad.**

"You guys know each other?" I asked, looking between the two.

"We go way back, Ash. So far back you wouldn't believe," Rianna grinned cheekily and winked at me.

"Please don't be cryptic," I told Ri. "Care to explain?" I asked Shaun, hands on my hips. He shook his head in disbelief.

"You're not supposed to be here. You're not supposed to follow me!" Shaun growled at Ri, fists clenched on the table top.

"Don't flatter yourself, honey. I'm not here to see you again," Rianna said breezily, waving a hand in front of Shaun. I noticed that Andy was gazing at Rianna with an odd look in his eyes. This worried me very much.

"What _are_ you doing here?" I asked my friend. She smiled at me.

"Coincidence," Ri said shortly.

"Bull shit." Shaun glared at my friend.

"Hey, you can't speak to her like that!" I told Shaun hotly. He rolled his eyes and stood abruptly.

"I'll be outside," he growled and left through the front doors. Half the people in the restaurant were staring at us in confusion or curiosity.

"Sit down," I sighed, gesturing towards the table. Andy shifted across, forcing Bradie over who reluctantly got out of the booth and sat next to Sam. Rianna and I moved in next to Andy. He rose his eyebrows at me and grinned. Frowning, I slapped his arm gently. I knew what that look meant.

"So. Who are you?" Sam asked placidly. Ri rolled her eyes.

"I'm Ashli's best friend of fourteen years. We went to school together and have known eachother since we were three. Good enough for you?"

"How do you know Shaun?" Bradie asked, curiosity masking his usual quietness.

"That's a long story," Rianna said. "You'll have to ask him seeing as he's so keen to see me again." Andy chuckled to himself.

"Anyway, there is no point in asking Shaun any time soon," I commented. "He's pissed off with almost everyone here." It reminded me of what happened the night Sam had slapped me…multiple times. The way he hadn't talked to anyone for the next following hours. Although Sam is around forty, he is still young-ish enough to know how fucked up you feel after having a massive fight with someone.

"Ash?" Andy's voice pulled me out of my short reverie.

"Sorry, can you repeat that?" I asked meekly.

"Shaun. Can you go talk to him?"

"Why do I have to do it?"

"Because he's only going to talk to you," Andy replied.

"He's not pissed with you! Why don't you go?" His eyes drifted over to Rianna.

"Because I'm entertaining your friend."

"Like fuck you are," I muttered, obviously not quiet enough.

"Sorry?"

"Nothing! Just saying how kind you are," I said, smiling sweetly. My eyes told another story as I half glared, half stared at him. Shoving my way out of the booth, I strode out into the night.

"Shaun!" I called.

"What?" His voice startled me and I spun to see him leaning on the corner of a wall.

"Oh. You're here. Andy wanted me to come and talk to you."

"Why?"

"How am I supposed to know? He seems too preoccupied…" I gazed into the fast food shop where Rianna, Sam, Bradie and Andy talking at their table. They all looked interested in what Rianna was saying. Andy lifted his head to look at me and frowned. I sighed and turned back to Shaun.

"How do you know Rianna?" I asked.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Would I be asking if I didn't?" He fell silent.

"We used to date. It was about 6 months ago though so I hadn't really heard from her until now. She made me cheat on my girlfriend at the time, Emily. That's why when you told me I was cheating on Lauren I lost it," he explained. My hand instantly went to my face. All of the patches that once concealed my wounds were gone and all that was left were little scars. My piercing was back in – thankfully – and my nose had slightly recovered.

"…that didn't go as planned."

"Oh, sorry. What did you say?" I stammered. "I kinda zoned out."

"I said: After that I told her not to follow me around anymore. That didn't go as planned."

"Then how did she know you were here?" He kicked the ground softly.

"I don't know!" I sighed exasperatedly.

"Then why are you so pissed?"

"Because she's so...I don't know why I'm pissed. I just don't want to see _her_ again…"

"Look," I began. "She's not going to be here for long. I'm sure she'll just go home and forget about it." Shaun snorted.

"Yeah, sure. This is the worst thing that's happened so far!"

"You know what? Not everything here is about you! You may think that this is the worst possible occurrence throughout this trip, but you seriously need to learn the fucking difference between what some people call good and what some assholes call bad. My friend is here and you're not going to ruin this for me! Got it?" He looked taken aback by my sudden outburst.

"Fine. I'll keep that in mind…"

"Good." With that, I turned on my heel and went back inside. When I reached the table, everyone's head turned towards me.

"How'd it go?" Bradie asked.

"Uh…it went okay I guess. We just…talked." It sounded more like a question with the incline of my voice.

"What did he say?" Rianna asked, curiosity playing in her eyes.

"He just said that…you were good friends." Lie. "And that you had a fight and wanted to take a break from each other." Lie. Why was I lying? Surely it wasn't going to matter if I told the truth. Was it? Ri looked slightly stunned.

"Oh yeah. We were pretty good friends. Almost inseparable," she said. Why was _she_ lying? She had no reason to lie! That's when I noticed there was something wrong. Rianna's hand was resting on the table and her arm was in clear view. Little red lines were marking her wrist, one under the other. When she caught me looking, Ri stood and tucked her arm behind her.

"I'm just going to go to the bathroom," she said and slid out of the booth.

"You okay?" Andy asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine; just need to go to the bathroom." She strode over to the female toilets and disappeared from sight. Turning to follow her, I was stopped by a voice.

"Ash, where are you going?"

"I need to ask her something," I told Andy.

"Can't it wait?"

"No." Following my friend into the bathroom, I caught her just as she was about to go into a stall.

"Ri!" I exclaimed. She turned, a fake smile plastered to her perfect lips.

"Hey, what's up?"

"I need to ask you to do something." I aimed for sounding nonchalant but it came out more strained.

"Sure." She leaned against the wall, arms crossing over her chest.

"Show me your wrists," I said gently. Rianna looked shocked.

"Why?"

"Please. Just show me…" Ri closed her eyes and slowly unfurled her arms, holding them face up in front of her. "Oh, Ri," I sighed.

Red lines laced their way up her forearms, a grotesque pattern that made my heart turn over in my chest. There was silence and my friend's breathing became ragged.

"Why did you do this to yourself?" I asked softly. Her eyes stayed closed as she responded to my question.

"So you're the only one that can do this, huh?"

"Ri, I had a good reason."

"Ha! And what was that?"

"You know why," I said stonily.

"Tell me again. I forgot."

"Depression." She smiled the tiniest bit in triumph. "Tell me why you did this. Now."

"You remember Danny, don't you?" I nodded and she opened her eyes, bringing her arms back down to her sides. "Well, we dated around two months ago and he introduced me to the wonderful world of the White Pony."

"Shit, Ri!" I yelled. "Tell me your joking!" An impish grin – a mere ghost of the girl I used to know – spread across Rianna's face.

"That would be lying though, now wouldn't it? "

"What the fuck are you doing drugs for?!" I exploded. "Do you know how much crap you'll get into?!"

"Oh please with the parental shit!" Ri shot back. "Like you weren't high when you went off and killed Louise!"

"That wasn't my fault! It. Wasn't. My. Fault."

"Yeah, whatever. Everyone knows it was you who did it. Maybe even your precious little Andy."

"You didn't." Her reply was a grin of pure evil. I darted forward, shoving her against the wall.

"Bitch," I hissed.

"Selfish bitch."

"Slut." She glared for a moment. Then her fist came hard and fast, hitting my nose with so much force that I staggered backwards, groaning in pain. She smiled, did a little three finger wave and left, the door swinging in her wake. Closing my eyes for a second, I straightened myself up and went back into the restaurant. Rianna was back at the table, sitting back next to Andy who seemed the whole world depended on hearing what she had to say.

"Hey, Ash," Bradie greeted me. "Oh, your nose is bleeding…" he handed me a napkin and I plastered it to my nose.

"Thanks," I tried for a small smile but my voice came out all stuffed and blocked like I had a cold.

"Are you okay?" Andy asked, looking at me for the first time since I'd gotten back.

"She's fine." Rianna said, tapping him on the shoulder; he turned back to her. She had a pen in one hand and was scribbling on a napkin. It was a whole bunch of numbers. She handed the napkin to Andy who grinned and pocketed it. A lump formed in my throat, which was immediately replaced by anger when Andy began to scrawl more numbers on Rianna's hand.

"Bitch," I spat, glaring at Rianna. She feigned innocence.

"What have I done?" I flipped her off, throwing down my bloody tissue and turning on my heel.

"Ashli!" Andy called.

"Fuck off!" I shouted. All the adults and young-ish kids stared as I stormed out.

"Woah!" Shaun exclaimed as I burst out into the parking lot. "What's up?"

"Nothing. Everything is just fucking fine!"

"No it's not." He pushed off from the wall as I began to head for the van.

"Just forget it. It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does matter," Shaun said. "Nothing can get you this pissed. Well, it can, but still…"

"It doesn't matter," I repeated, softer this time. "It doesn't matter."

"Okay. Well, what are you gonna do while they are still in there?" Shaun jerked his thumb over his shoulder.

"Sit here and wait? I dunno. What are you gonna do?"

"Sit here and wait." I laughed.

"Aw, c'mon! That's boring. Let's go do something fun!" I exclaimed, grinning.

"In case you haven't noticed, Ashli," Shaun said, "we are in the middle of nowhere in a McDonalds parking lot. What kind of fun do you have in mind?"

"Um…climbing."

"Climbing?" Shaun looked doubtful. "What kind of climbing?"

"Climbing. Just climbing," I said, grinning. Just then, a flurry of voices came from the entrance to McDonalds and four figures walked out. "Here comes trouble…" I mumbled, crossing my arms.

"Don't worry about it." Shaun gave me an apologetic smile.

"Oh! Before I forget. Truce?" I held out my hand. Shaun grinned, put his hand in mine and shook.

"Truce." Everyone arrived then and we quickly pulled apart.

"Ready to go?" Sam asked, pulling the car keys out of his pocket. We nodded and climbed in as he unlocked the van. I moved over to the opposite side from where everyone got in and buckled myself in, declaring the seat my own. Andy gave me a look of confusion as he climbed into the back, followed closely by Rianna.

"Hey!" I called to Sam. "What's she doing here?"

"We made a deal. She would tell us why she was here and we would drop her home after the concerts are over," Sam explained, closing the door as he jumped in to the driver's side.

"Wait, after _all_ the concerts are over? Like, just the Melbourne ones?"

"No, once the whole tour is over."

"Fu-uck," I groaned, clenching my fists.

"Something wrong?" Rianna asked from the very back, leaning over the seat.

"Fuck off bit – "

"And no more foul language!" Sam called.

"The day you become my father," I replied. "The day you can attempt to tell me what to do." Bradie chuckled from beside me and smiled whereas Rianna rolled her eyes and settled back next to Andy. "Hey Andy?" I asked, turning around in my seat.

"Yeah?" he mumbled distractedly, in deep conversation with Ri.

"Give me my bag." When he did nothing, I rolled my eyes. "Now!" Leaning forward, he picked up my black Emily The Strange messenger bag and handed it over to me. As soon as I grabbed it, I turned back to the front, not even saying one word of thanks. He didn't deserve it anyway. As I pulled out my iPod, I noticed that everyone was unusually silent. I put it down to tiredness. Placing the earbuds in my ears, I flicked the playlist to My Favourites and played Everything I Ask For by The Maine. It was by far the best song I had on my iPod so far. Well, maybe not. But it did come very close. In the chorus, I began to murmur the lyrics.

"Oh she makes me feel like shit. It's always something. But I can't get over it. She thinks it's nothing. Cause she's everything I ask for, everything I ask for; and just a little bit more. Everything I ask for, everything I ask for; and so much more…" Music made me feel better. It made me calm when I was pissed off; made me a little happier when I was on the verge of depression. Nothing could compare to the 'healing' effects it had on me. But when it was my heart that held the pain, nothing could fix it. Not one All Time Low or My Chemical Romance song could repair the cracks.

"Ashli!" I woke with a start, eyes flying open. Andy was leaning against the open car door, gazing at me expectantly.

"What?" I groaned, rubbing my eyes.

"We're here. C'mon…" He reached forward to take my hand but I jerked away, remembering the last time I was awake. Andy looked stunned but stepped away from the door to let me out. I swung my messenger bag over my shoulder, plugging my iPod back into my ears. Lost In Stereo by All Time Low was playing now, blocking out all sounds from outside. Andy walked beside me, half leading me to our hotel room from the underground parking. After a second, I saw his mouth moving, talking.

"What?" I said, taking out one earbud.

"I said, everyone has already gone up with our bags."

"Oh. Everyone being Sam, Bradie, Shaun and Rianna, right?" Andy gave me a weird look and nodded.

"What do you have against Ri?" he asked as we stepped into an elevator.

"Oh, nothing," I replied, putting my other earpiece back in.

"No," I saw him mouth. He reached out and pulled both earpieces out of my ears, somehow grabbing my iPod along with them.

"Hey!" I yelled, trying to snatch it back.

"No. You're not getting this back until you tell me why you're so pissed at her." I laughed humourlessly.

"Are you fucking serious? You're worse than my mother!" He shoved my iPod into his skinny jeans pocket. I wanted to go and grab it out, despite its position.

"Just tell me," he said, punching in the number for our floor and leaning back against the wall. The doors slid closed and there was silence. Until I broke it.

"You gave her your number," I said, eyes closed. I felt him shift. "And she gave you hers." I opened my left eye the tiniest bit so there was a little slit. Through the slit I saw him nod. "And you kissed me."

"And?"

"And even though you kissed me you still got her number," my voice sounded scratchy and hurt.

"And?" My eyes flew open and glared. How could he be so thick?!

"And that means you're cheating!"

"Cheating? Ashli, we're not even going out."

"Right. Just kiss any random girl who likes you so much she's dependent on it then go and get some sluts number and forget about the girl. I get it now," I whispered, tears running down my cheeks.

"Ashli. It's not – "

"You're the first person I've trusted since I was thirteen. The first guy I've thought about this way since I was fourteen. If it means shit to you, then fine. It means shit to me." The doors slid open as I completed my little speech and I ducked out, ignoring the fact that I had no idea which room I was in. In fact, I was so unsure that I stopped dead in the middle of the hall and gazed around me. Andy approached me from behind and touched my arm. I shook him off violently and stepped to the side. Head down, he walked to the end of the corridor and pulled out a key card. He slid it into the slot and held the door open for me. Slowly, I went into the room and looked around. There was a kitchen to my right, living room in front, dining table to my left and the bedrooms off the hallway also to the left. I had no idea where to go, what to do. There was a very flirtatious laugh from one of the bedrooms and I frowned. It seemed to be the bedroom Andy had just walked into. Bradie walked in from the kitchen and smiled.

"Hey," he said.

"Hmm."

"What's up?" he asked, walking over to me.

"Nothing. I'm just…tired," I replied.

"It's got to do with Andy, doesn't it?" He sounded so concerned that I had to look him in the eyes to make sure he wasn't feigning. When I realised he was serious, I nodded.

"Yes. It's got to do with your backstabbing, arsehole stepbrother."

"What has he done this time?" Bradie asked, taking my hand and leading me over to the couch.

"Rianna. Well, he probably will," I said bluntly.

"No, I didn't mean 'do' as in…um…"

"Fuck?" I supplied.

"Yeah. I meant 'do' as in…okay, it doesn't matter what it's supposed to mean. Just…what has he done?"

"You know he kissed me. Right?" Bradie nodded. "Well – argh! This is so cliché it's not funny!" My head fell into my hands and I sighed.

"Hey, I'm sure he'll work out what he's done wrong. If not, then I'll try and make him see some sense," Bradie said, grinning. I laughed once.

"The arsehole gene doesn't seem to pass on to stepbrothers. Thanks," I grinned.

"Any time, Ash." His phone rang in his pocket and he gave me an apologetic smile, getting up to answer it. Settling back against the couch, I sighed again. There was a knock on the door and I somehow forced myself to answer it. Two girls stood there, holding a suitcase each.

"Hey," one said.

"What are you doing here?" Happiness overwhelmed me and I stepped aside to let them in.

"We heard you were around and came to…visit?" The other replied, holding up her suitcase.

"Shaun! Bradie!" I called, cupping my hands around my mouth. Shaun appeared first, elation covering his features as he ran forward, picking up one of the girls off the ground in a hug.

"Lauren!" He exclaimed, pulling back and kissing her. I stood, shocked, trying to un-see what I had just seen.

"EWW!" Sophia and I exclaimed simultaneously. Bradie came out of the kitchen and grinned brightly. Sophia ran into his open arms and hugged him.

"Hey, Soph," he mumbled, laughing. Feeling a little awkward, I shut the door and scuffed my toe against the ground.

"We have some news," Lauren said, finally pulling away from Shaun, though his arm was around her waist. "You may not like it, though…"

"Just tell me," I begged. "Good or bad?"

"Both. Your parents have officially turfed you out of your house," Sophia explained. "They came around to Lauren's with all of your stuff. Furniture and all. Now you're your own person."

"Yes! Finally!" I exclaimed. "Happy Birthday to both of you by the way. I'll be back." Sophia and Lauren were born one day apart, their eighteenth birthdays only a day ago. Moving down the hall, I pushed on a bedroom door, trying to find my bag. Instead, I found Rianna and Andy.

"Fuck…" I hissed, leaning heavily against the doorframe. They both shot apart and gazed at me.

"Sorry," Andy said. That was the last thing I heard before I collapsed.

AN: Okay, this was the last chapter you will get until the 24th of January. If I can find some internet then I will update but if not, you will just have to wait until I can put up my epic Chapter Ten :D


	10. Chapter 10

AN: I'm back! Two weeks with no Internet certainly took its toll on me :S

Well, here is Chapter Ten. It's not exactly one of my best but I didn't want to keep you all waiting even more =D

I mucked up the whole 'thanking people for reviewing' thing at the start of Chapter Nine so I decided to do it again.

This time it should be correct XD

So here it is:

Emxxx (multiple times)

Melfletcherr (multiple times)

(multiple times)

Emily (multiple times)

Katie

Leisey (multiple times)

Rainonherparade (multiple times)

xEmilia.

KeroseneREMEMBERING

CommeParMargie

**The rain can cry for me**

"Oh shit. Not again," Lauren's voice penetrated the thick fog that clouded my brain.

"Andy, you dickhead. You should seriously stop doing this to her!" Sophia exclaimed angrily.

"Hey! It wasn't my fault she walked in!"

"You're not supposed to be making out with some random slut, Andy!" Lauren yelled.

"Hey! I'm not some random slut!" Rianna exclaimed, outraged.

"Shut it, bitch…" Sophia growled. I lay there for what seemed like hours, listening to their bickering and talking. Eventually, I got kinda bored and my eyes opened. The first thing I saw was a TV. Okay, I was in the living room. Then I heard more voices.

"Welcome back, Slut," Rianna sounds venomous and sour.

"That's funny. Considering you were the one making out with Andy," I shot back, my strength building instantly. I sat up slowly, looking around. Sophia and Lauren were siting by my feet, Bradie and Shaun sat on another couch to the right and Rianna stood in front of the coffee table. Andy was nowhere to be seen.

"Morning princess," Lauren grinned tightly. "How was your sleep?"

"Painful," I replied. "What are you still doing here?" I asked, glaring pointedly at Rianna.

"Just making sure you're okay. Andy wanted to know…"

"Stay away from him," I spat.

"Ha! Make me." I jumped up, grabbing her arm tightly. She did the same, squeezing my other arm with he free one.

"Don't tempt me," I hissed.

"From what I recall you would never hurt a fly," Rianna said. Lauren and Sophia laughed.

"That's hilarious Rianna!" Sophia exclaimed. "Why, you have such a promising career in comedy!"

"Shut it, bitch!" Rianna shouted.

"Oh no you didn't!" Lauren stood, fists clenched.

"Sorry, let me repeat that: shut it bit – "

"Enough!" Bradie yelled. "All of you. Enough. Can you not fight for one second?"

"Hey, it wasn't my fault!" Rianna protested, gripping my arm tighter. I responded by closing my fingers so much that my knuckles went white.

"It was your fault...but that's not the point. The point is you all need to stop getting on each other's backs and calm down." Ah Bradie…always the one to think rationally. Unfortunately.

"She kissed Andy," I growled.

"I know and, I guess, I'm sorry about that. But you gotta let it go…seriously. Let it go." Bradie strode over to me and gently pried my fingers off Rianna.

"Real nice Bradie," Rianna hissed when she caught what he meant. Sophia, Lauren and Shaun were hiding laughter behind their hands, trying (and failing) to smother it. There was a shared glare between my 'friend' and I before she tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Anyway, I'm going out. Don't miss me too much." She did her little three finger wave and twitched out the front door.

I fell back onto the couch as the door hit its frame.

"Well, I've had it with her shit," I said nonchalantly. "Anyone else?"

"Me too," Sophia chimed in.

"Me too," Lauren sighed.

"Me three!" Shaun laughed.

"Me four…" Bradie said, confused.

"Okay, so that makes five of us. And I doubt there's gonna be six," I told everyone. A sudden excruciating pain twisted in my stomach and I doubled over.

"Ash. You okay?" Soph asked worriedly.

"Yeah…I think. Just…gimme a minute…" I gasped. Gradually, the pain eased a little and I sat back up slowly.

"You sure you're okay?" Lauren asked, doubt clear in her voice. I nodded.

"I'm just going to get some air. Back soon." I smiled shakily at everyone and walked to the front door. Stepping out into the hall, I pondered whether there would be a rooftop area. Turns out – as I stepped into the elevator – there was a button labelled 'rooftop' and I didn't hesitate to press it. Another sharp pain twisted through me and I crouched down, closing my eyes. There was a small 'ding' as I reached the rooftop yet I didn't move. The pain had settled in my stomach, making me feel like my lunch was going to come and greet me. The doors clicked and began to close and suddenly, my plans of going to get fresh air vanished. The elevator moved down the floors as I sat in the corner with my knees up to my chest. There was another 'ding' and the doors slid open. Someone wearing light blue skinny jeans with a torn knee and white thongs walked in. Instantly, I knew who it was.

"I heard what happened with you and Ri," Andy said quietly. There was a note of anger or hostility in his voice but I chose to ignore it. When I didn't reply – not because I was being bitchy but because of my stomach – he continued. "And I heard why it happened. I don't understand you, Ashli. She's your friend. Why fight over someone who isn't worth fighting over?" The pain was easing and I finally let out a breath I hadn't realised I was holding.

"She's _not_ my friend. Backstabbing bitches aren't my friends," I said fiercely. "And not worth fighting over? That's not what it is."

"Then what is it?"

"It's something I need. Something I know I'm not going to be able to have with Rianna around," I whispered. Andy leaned back against the wall as we moved to another level. I saw him reach out and press the 'rooftop' button. Closing my eyes again, I waited for another round of pain. No doubt it would come again soon. The ever present 'ding' sounded again and the doors opened to reveal the rooftop. Andy walked out but then turned to realise I wasn't following him.

"Aren't you coming?" he asked. Slowly, I uncurled myself and stood, almost hobbling out of the elevator. As soon as my feet touched the ground outside, another wave of nauseous pain rocked through me. This time it was so strong I instantly went to my knees, arms crossed over my stomach. I groaned audibly and gasped for air. "Ash, what's wrong?" Andy moved to crouch down in front of me. I was doubled over so much that my head nearly touched my knees. Eventually, after a few more agonising seconds, it subsided and I could sit up.

"What was that?" Andy asked, still crouched in front of me. When I didn't answer – again, not because I was being bitchy – I saw him stand up. He put his hand on my shoulder and I attempted weakly to shake him off. Instead, he just grabbed my hands and pulled me to my feet. Snatching them back, I walked carefully over to the railing. The midday sun was casting an unusual brightness over the city and it almost hurt my eyes to look at it. Andy came over and stood next to me, a little way away.

"Are you going to tell me why you hate Ri now?"

"I thought you were smart enough to work that one out for yourself," I said curtly.

"Obviously you're making it too difficult to figure it out. Just tell me," Andy said a little wearily.

"Figure it out for yourself."

"Just tell me!"  
"No!"

"Tell me!"

"No!"

"Tell me!"

"You kissed me but you got another girl's number! Okay?! That's it!" Andy looked like I'd slapped him.

"But…"

"You don't kiss a girl and then go and get some other random slut's number! Sure, that may be fine for a guy, but for a girl, that makes us feel like shit! And with my ex-friend. That just makes it ten times worse." I hadn't realised I was crying until I felt a tear run onto my neck.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to happen," he said softly.

"Sorry doesn't make it any better, Andy. Not when I find you and Rianna together. Not when I've trusted you with stuff that I haven't told anyone; not even Soph and Lozz. It just doesn't make it any better," I whispered. There was a short silence. "Why did you do it?" My sudden question startled even me.

"What do you mean?"

"Why did you do it? Why did you kiss me? Why did you get Rianna's number? Why did you even bother with me then go make out with Rianna? Why?" He seemed to think deeply about the questions, which were actually very simple.

"I kissed you because I'm a guy. I got Rianna's number because I'm a guy. I bothered with you and made out with Rianna because I'm a guy," he said, turning towards me. I was silent. Then,

"What kind of sad-ass excuses are they?!"

"Good ones?"

"You don't get it do you? I needed you and obviously you couldn't have cared less about me, and the fact that you were the only thing keeping me here! Well, now it looks like I can go back to living on the streets! I hope I never see you again after today. If I do, don't expect it to be pleasant. Have fun with Rianna," I shouted, turning on my heel and starting for the elevators. Fury surged through me like molten lava, burning through my veins and pumping through my blood. Andy caught my arm, spinning me back round to face him.

"You're not going anywhere," he said quietly.

"Get off me. Now."

"No."

"Get off me!" My hand had a mind of it's own and slapped Andy sharply on the cheek. _Oh. Shit. How many people have I slapped so far? Five? Six?_ I stumbled backwards and stared in horror.

"Oh my god. Andy I…I…" He was frozen, head to the side, eyes closed. A small trail of blood snaked from his nose and that made me feel even worse. Okay, he deserved the slap. But he did not deserve to bleed. Well…maybe. "Andy, I didn't…mean…sorry." I turned and ran for the elevator. As I stepped inside, I saw his head turn to gaze at me and sorrow pass over his face. Looking at the ground beneath my feet, I pressed the button for my floor and ignored the fact that Andy had started to walk towards the lift, shouting something that I could only comprehend as 'Ashli…don't…sorry…Rianna…' My tears hadn't ceased and cascaded freely down my cheeks. As soon as I got to my floor, I ducked out of the elevator and went straight to my room. Thankfully I remembered which number it was. As I knocked on the door, I hurriedly attempted to dry the accusing droplets that stained my cheeks. Of course, just as I brought my sleeve to my cheek, Bradie opened the door, a smile on his mouth. His face fell when he saw me and twisted into a look of concern and almost brotherly love.

"Ash, what's wrong?" He gently pulled me into the room and shut the door behind me.

"An-Andy…I can't do this…anymore…" I let him sit me on the couch, Sophia and Lauren perching on the coffee table in front of me.

"What's wrong?" Sophia asked softly.

"I have to…go. I said I w-would…go…" I stood and ran, grabbing my bag from beside the front door and hoisting it onto my shoulder. Slinging my messenger bag over my arm and grabbing my bass from the corner, I turned to face my friends.

"What are you doing?" Lauren asked unsurely, standing.

"Leaving. I have to. I said I would," I replied carefully.

"Why?" Bradie asked.

"Andy." Just as I tugged the door open, none other than Andy himself walked towards the door. Shoving past him, I ignored the fact that he grabbed for my arm and strode towards the elevators. No one spoke or moved or did anything to stop me, which I was thankful for. If anyone was to come anywhere near me while I was leaving, I would explode.

"You dickhead! What did you do?!" Sophia yelled suddenly, presumably at Andy.

"I haven't done anything! Ashli! Stop! Please!"

"Like fuck you didn't do anything! What did you do?!" Lauren's voice reverberated down the hall as I stepped into the elevator and pressed the ground floor button.

"I haven't done anything! Ashli!" As the doors slid closed, a black hole of loneliness opened up inside of me. Where was I supposed to go? As I finally got out onto the pavement, the black hole turned into a black void, twisting in my chest where my heart should have been. The strange nauseous pain rocked through me again, almost sending me to my knees. Passers by looked the tiniest bit concerned but continued on their way. I hobbled over to a bench and sat down heavily. There was an orange sign next to my head and I turned to read it.

_CBD Bus Transit_

_Busses to:_

_St. Kilda_

_Bullen_

_Docklands_

_Mt. Waverley_

_Glen Waverley_

_South Melbourne_

_Every half hour for six days a week_

Mount Waverley…Mount Waverley. I racked my brain as to why that suburb sounded so familiar. _Zia Anna! She lives in Mount Waverley! _My Zia – the word for Aunt in Italian – Anna lived in Mount Waverley with her nine-month-old, Lola and her husband, Paul. I checked my phone. The time flashed 1:27 p.m. Another three minutes and I would be gone. No one had followed me out. No one had stopped me. Maybe they were all screaming at Andy. Or knocking some sense into him. Either way, I was kind of grateful. At exactly 1:30 a bus pulled up to the stop and I hurriedly jumped on.

"Where to?" The driver asked, flicking at one of her nails.

"Uh…Mount Waverley?"

"That will be seventeen dollars for one ticket," she said, gesturing to the ticket machine in front of me. Pulling out the right amount of money from my wallet, I fed it into the machine and selected my destination. Eventually, a small white slip printed from the machine and I tore it off.

"Can I go sit down now?"

"Be my guest…" Rolling my eyes, I walked to the back of the bus, shoving my bag and bass onto the seat opposite me. When I sat down, the bus rumbled to life, chugging through the street. Plugging my iPod into my ears, I played Poppin' Champagne by All Time Low and closed my eyes. Numerous times my phone rang and vibrated, only to be ignored. I could tell I was pissing off the other passengers with the noise but for all I cared, they could jump off a moving train. Eventually we came to Docklands and stopped again. People bought their tickets and then we drove off again. There was a tap on my shoulder and I cracked open one eye. There was a girl standing there. She wore a long blue hippie skirt, brown beaded singlet and silver sandals. Her long dark hair was adorned with little plaits and a gold hippie headband. Many gold and silver bangles covered her arms, dozens of necklaces looping around her neck. Her mouth moved, her voice not reaching my ears. I held up one finger and paused my music.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you," I said bluntly.

"Oh. That's okay. I was asking if I could sit here…" She pointed to the seat beside me.

"But isn't there any other spare seats…?" I stood and peered out across the bus. Sure enough, every seat was full. Sitting back down in defeat, I motioned for her to proceed.

"Thanks. I'm Claire by the way," she grinned, holding out a hand. I shook it and tried for a smile.

"I'm Ashli. How old are you, Claire?"

"I'm eighteen. You?"

"Same. Eighteen. Look, no offence but I'm not really in the mood to talk to people so I'm just going to listen to my music, okay?"

"Sure. I'm not taking offence," she replied, nodding honestly. Smiling a little, I pressed play on my iPod and let Girls Do What They Want by The Maine ring through my head. After around thirty minutes, there was another tap on my shoulder. Pressing pause and opening my eyes, I saw Claire standing.

"Well, this is my stop. Thanks for letting me sit next to you, Ashli."

"Wait, where are we?"

"Mount Waverley," she replied.

"Oh! Well I've got to get off here too. Just one second…" I pulled my messenger back over my neck, hoisted my bag onto my shoulder and grabbed my bass by the handle of the case. As I bumped my way down the aisle behind Claire, I noticed a few people talking about how I had 'been so disrespectful by hitting them on my way out.' As I stepped off the bus, I noticed Claire waiting on the path. Grinning at her loyalty, I slowly walked up to her.

"Where are you headed?" I asked her, readjusting my bags.

"Rae Street. What about you?"

"Um…Rae Street I think." Somehow, I'd managed to memorise my Zia's address.

"Well, we can walk together then," Claire said, grinning.

"Wait, walk? How far is it?"

"It'll only take about ten minutes to walk to there from here…not far." Sighing thankfully, I followed as she set off. After five minutes, I was out of breath. Carrying a bass and a full bag is hard work when you're tired and can't be bothered doing anything but sleeping. Eventually, we slowed down and Claire stopped in front of a mailbox.

"Well this is my stop. If ever you want to talk or something, just come to 72 Rae Street. Just don't come between the hours of twelve in the afternoon and eleven at night. That's when my dad's home. Bye." She waved and walked up the path. I waved back and continued on my way. I was frantically searching for number 63 when I came to a run down house. The windows were smashed, the front door hanging off its hinges, mushrooms growing on the dilapidated roof. The mailbox was lying in the overgrown grass and I bent down to read the number. 63. Rubbing my thumb over the metal, I prayed that I read wrong. 63.

"Shit!" I yelled, throwing my head back. "Why is this happening to me?! This isn't fair!" So for twenty minutes, I sat, in the grass, screaming at the sky. Of course, people driving past would've locked their doors, thinking I was a psychopath that had escaped from an asylum. After about a minute of incoherent screaming and shouting, the sky opened up and rain poured down onto me, soaking every inch of my skin within seconds. Struggling to a standing position, I went to the only cover I had; the house. Considering the front door was practically nonexistent, I walked right in. The first room was a living room, which was used every Christmas and special occasion. Now, it held two dusty couches and a broken TV set. I set my bags down onto the floor by the door and continued on. Walking through a doorway in the living room, I found the kitchen. All the appliances except for the oven and stove were gone and all that was left was a table and a couple of chairs. Through the next doorway was a hall with three bedrooms, a bathroom and laundry. In the middle of the hall was another doorway to the rarely used formal dining room. It had a large table and a few chairs. The house I used to love coming to was run down and ruined. Carefully, I walked back through the kitchen to where there was a back door. As I stepped into the backyard I noticed that the grass was almost at my waist, the trees bending over the decking, plants towering above my head. Everything looked like it had been sped up by years. It disconcerted me to know I was in a run down house all by myself. Where someone could easily be lurking or hiding during the night hours. A strong cold wind blew through the garden and I decided to go back inside where it was at least relatively warm. Going back into the living room, I dragged my bags next to the couch and curled up, despite the dust, and closed my eyes. In a matter of minutes, I was asleep.

My eyes slowly cracked open, revealing a dark and dingy room. Sitting up slowly, I wiped all the grit from the corners of my eyes and looked around. I was still in the living room; my bags still by my side. A sharp crack resounded through the house and I jumped, my heart beating ten times faster in my chest. Another crack sounded but this time it was softer. Then I heard the squeaking back door open and close, footsteps approaching the living room. I pressed myself into the back of the couch, praying it was too dark for the intruder to see me.

"I'm not going to hurt you, you know." The voice startled me and I jumped, letting out a little scream. A figure stood in the doorway, framed by the dust motes that danced in the light. A boy.

"Who are you?" My voice came out weaker than I wanted it to.

"Me? Shouldn't I be asking _you_ that question?" he said, walking forward.

"This is my Aunt's house. What are you doing here?"

"No. This is _my_ house. I live here," he said, leaning against the wall.

"What happened to my Auntie?" He laughed once.

"You really expect me to know?" Anger began to burn inside of me, only being fuelled by my newfound hatred for this boy. He stepped into a small patch of light and my heart sank. There was no way I could get any answers from this guy. He had almost black hair, an electric blue streak highlighting the 'emo fringe' that fell over one startling blue eye. He wore all black apart from the small amount of browny-white on his battered high-tops.

"Forget it," I growled, standing and snatching up my messenger bag. Pulling out my phone, I walked out onto the front decking. Three missed calls. Four text messages. I tapped 'ignore' on every message until I could finally see my wallpaper. My fingers began to type a number. Subconsciously ringing the only person I needed to talk to. Tapping the call button, I held my phone to my ear, holding my breath. They picked up.

"Andy?"

"No, Rianna." My hope deflated so much that I had to sit down.

"Where's Andy?"

"He's asleep. He's right here actually. I'll wake him for you…" I could hear her mumbling to someone, using a kind tone. Wait. One. Second. They were together right then. He was asleep.

"Ash?" Andy's voice cut through the emotional tangle in my head.

"Andy…you bastard! You son of a bit-!"

"Ash! What's going on?"

"You fucking…I can't believe you!"

"What. Is. Going. On?"

"How could you?! After everything I said you _still ignored me_! Fine then! If you want to go…be with Rianna, do that! But don't expect me to be there when she dumps you for some other gullible dickhead!"

"What are you talking about? Ashli, you're not making sense."

"I called you to head _your_ voice. Not hers." With that, I hung up. Tears ran down my cheeks as I shoved my phone into my pocket.

"Boyfriend?" I jumped up, spinning around. The boy stood in the doorway.

"Mind your own."

"I'm just trying to help." He turned and went back into the living room. I checked the time on my phone, surprised when I saw it was only 9:45 p.m. Dragging myself up and back into the house, I realised I didn't even know the boy's name. He was sitting on one of the couches, reading a book by torchlight. Sitting on the other couch opposite, I cleared my throat. He didn't look up.

"I…What's – "

"My name's Casper. I'm nineteen." I cracked a smile.

"Casper? As in Casper the friendly ghost?" One corner of Casper's mouth pulled up.

"Yeah. Something like that. What about you?"

"Ashli and I'm eighteen. Not a very interesting name," I replied.

"Ashli…it's not that bad. I've never met someone with the name Ashli."

"Well, now you have," I laughed.

"Now I have." He grinned and returned to his book. I sighed.

"Casper, have you ever heard of the band Short Stack?" He thought for a moment.

"The gay one, right? Bad hair, shit clothes, dog ugly?" I laughed.

"I know who you are, Ashli." This stopped me.

"How?"

"I know you are in a band Hush Hush who supported the band Short Stack for their Stack Is The New Black Tour. I know you are in the band with your two friends, Sophia and Lauren."

"And how exactly did you know all this?" I was trying to keep cool, not letting on that I was so scared I could've peed myself.

"Ever heard of a little something called the Internet?" This relaxed me a lot.

"No, I don't think I have. You might have to show me some time," I replied with just as much sarcasm.

"Sure." He got up and strode into the kitchen. My phone rang in my pocket and I reluctantly pulled it out. 'Bradie' it read. I pressed the green button and held the phone up to my ear.

"Hey," I greeted, trying to make myself sound happy.

"Ash…where are you?" Bradie asked, his voice soft.

"I can't tell you this time Bradie. I'm sorry," I replied, remembering the night where I'd gotten stabbed in the leg.

"Alright. When are you coming back? We need you…" More tears fell down my cheeks.

"I…I don't know. Not soon. I just need some time by myself, okay?"

"Okay. Well, call me if you need to talk to someone," he said, sighing.

"Thanks, Bradie. I will. Bye."

"Bye." I hurriedly wiped away my tears as Casper returned with a packet of something in his hands. Sitting next to me, he held out the packet. Gummi Dinosaurs.

"Want one?" he asked, taking a t-rex and popping it into his mouth. I laughed and took a yellow one with a long neck.

"Where did you get them?" I asked.

"Stole 'em from the supermarket," Casper replied.

"You stole them?" He nodded.

"How else do you expect me to eat?"

"You use money."

"I don't have any money."

"Oh…then you can steal," I said, grinning. He returned the smile and at another dinosaur. "How long have you been staying here for?"

"Around two months," he replied, standing and stretching.

"Why here?"

"I don't know. I just kind of found it like this and thought it would be a good place to stay. You do get the odd vandal or two, but they're pretty cool…" My stomach gave a loud growl and I slapped it softly. Casper laughed.

"Sorry, I'm hungry," I apologised, rolling my eyes. He looked at me for a moment then beckoned with his hand and walked to the front door.

"Come on." I stood and followed him out into the night.

"Where are we going?" I asked, glancing around as we walked down the middle of the road.

"You said you were hungry. We're going to get some food," he replied.

"Okay then. Where are we going to get some food from?"

"I don't know. There are a few different places. But I think the supermarket would be the best place for a beginner…"

"Beginner?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "You're new to stealing things."

"How would you know?" I asked incredulously. He took a sidelong glance at me.

"I can just tell." Rolling my eyes, I laughed as a car drove right past us, Casper swearing and flipping it off. We arrived at the local Woolworths and Casper rose an eyebrow at me.

"Ready?"

"Of course." We walked into the supermarket and Casper led me into one of the aisles.

"Okay, what do you want?" He stood in front of the savoury things like Barbecue Shapes and chips.

"Um…I like Salt and Vinegar chips," I replied, craning my neck to look up at him.

"Grab a packet," he instructed close to my ear. I thought for a moment before grabbing a medium size packet from the shelf. "Now follow me…" I trooped behind as Casper went to the self-serve check out and took hold of my arm. "Okay, this is the harder bit. You've got to go up to one of the occupied checkouts and scan the packet. Just scan and run. Don't wait for me…" I gulped down the irrational fear that shot up from my stomach and slowly walked forward, moving towards a lady who had her back turned to me. Just as she bent to pick up a dropped coin, I darted forward, scanned the chips and ran for the doors.

"Hey!" A store clerk shouted, beginning to run after me. I squealed as someone grabbed for me and I neatly dodged their arm. I could hear Casper's feet pounding on the road behind me as I ran. There were still shouts from behind us and I slowed down as we turned a corner.

"No! Keep running!" Casper laughed, grabbing my hand and dragging me forward. Laughing with him, I began to run again. All sounds of the supermarket faded behind us as we continued on. Eventually we reached the house, panting and laughing. Falling onto the grass, I realised Casper was still holding my hand. When he saw me gazing at our interlocked fingers, he quickly let go.

"There you have it," he said, grinning. "Stolen food." I held up my packet of chips and gazed at them sceptically. _My first stolen food…_I thought proudly. Sure, I'd done nearly everything that was illegal but I'd always thought stealing was for try-hards who had nothing better to do than be complete dickheads. Of course, now I thought differently. If people had to steal to survive, then so be it. But then again, I _did_ have money. Just as we stood to walk inside, the sky opened up and the rain began to bucket down. Running back to the front porch, we ducked inside the door. We had been soaked to our skin in those few short seconds and were dripping all over the floor. We took one look at each other before grinning like mad men,

"Still hungry?" Casper asked before shaking his head like a wet dog, sending droplets of rain spraying everywhere.

"Hey!" I laughed, trying to dodge the water. "Yeah, I'm still hungry…" Just then, as if to prove what I said, my stomach growled loudly. Slapping it softly, I opened the chips. Casper darted forward and snatched a handful.

"Hey! My stolen food!" I exclaimed playfully. He winked.

"Who helped you steal it?"

"My hands. And the lady who was at the register," I replied. Just then, my phone rang and I got up to grab it. 'Andy' the screen read.

"Who's Andy?" Casper asked from right next to my ear. I whirled around.

"No one."

"He's the one you were talking to before, isn't he?"

"Yes…"

"And he's your boyfriend?" I laughed once, humourlessly.

"He's not my boyfriend…maybe more of a friend…no, that's not right. He's one of the guys in Short Stack who is twenty-one and a complete dickhead at the moment. I think that sums him up right," I explained.

"Give me your phone."

"Why?"

"Just do it." Reluctantly, I handed over my mobile. Casper tapped the talk button then the loudspeaker button. "Hello?" he sounded so innocent I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from cracking up.

"Uh…hi. Is Ashli there?" Andy sounded honestly perplexed.

"I think she may be in the shower – " When I waved my arms frantically, signalling that was a very bad place to go, Casper rolled his eyes. "Never mind, she's right here…" He rose an eyebrow at me and I waved him off.

"Thanks," I said, trying to make myself sound like I wasn't on loudspeaker. "What?" This time I spoke closer to the phone.

"Ash…I wanted to talk to you."

"Really? Well I tried to do that ages ago but you seemed too preoccupied," I said curtly.

"You weren't making any sense. Why would you think I was with Rianna?" Casper snickered and I slapped his arm.

"Because she answered your phone. And woke you up…" From the corner of my eye I could see Casper in hysterics and I slapped him again. This time he stopped and frowned at me.

"So? Does that automatically mean I slept with her, does it?"

"I didn't say that – "

"Yes you did! And what about this guy who answered your phone?" Andy asked. _Oh shit._

"He…just wait one second," I snapped. 'What do I say?' I mouthed. Casper thought for a moment.

"Say that you…used to know me and I brought you back to my house for a drink," he whispered, a sly smile on his lips. I rolled my eyes but told Andy something along the lines of that.

"He was in prison with me. We met again at on a train and went back to his house…for a drink," I lied. Glancing at Casper, I saw his look of confusion at the word 'prison'.

"Drink? Yeah, that's funny. What about the shower?"

"I was…dirty." Andy laughed once.

"Yeah, right. Of course. I know you're not there for a 'drink'" – I could almost see him making the quotation marks with his fingers – "so you don't need to lie."

"I'm not lying! At least I don't go cheating on people with no good reason!"

"At least I'm not a slut! And you think our fans are bitches."

"Backstabbing bastard," I hissed before hanging up on him.

"Wow…that's a rocky relationship right there. You ever thought about seeing a counsellor?" Casper joked, raising his eyebrows.

"Maybe I should go see a hit man…" He looked honestly shocked until I smiled a little. "I'm joking, Casper." His face turned to relief. He turned and walked into the kitchen.

"Look, I'm going to get changed," I called, opening my bag and pulling out a whole new set of clothes. I ducked into one of the bedrooms, took off my sopping wet clothing and replaced them with the dry ones. After changing, I found a few chairs and slung the clothes over the backs. Once that was done, I went into the kitchen. Casper had changed as well but was still all in black.

"What's the deal with the whole prison lie? Couldn't you've made me sound a little more…believable? I mean seriously, if you haven't been to prison then why say you met someone there?" he asked.

"I have been to prison," I said nonchalantly.

"That's really funny," he said sarcastically.

"No really, I have." He stopped dead in his tracks.

"What for?"

"Vandalism. And manslaughter. And possession of drugs or something like that…" I waved my hand in the air, showing it was nothing of importance.

"Okay," he said after a moment.

"I have!" I insisted.

"Prove it then." I rolled my eyes and went to grab my phone, returning with it a second later. I dialled in Sophia's number then tapped the call and loudspeaker button. She answered after three rings.

"Ash? Where are you?" she asked.

"Ask Bradie. He knows the answer to that one. Can you grab Lauren for me? I want to talk to the both of you…" I could hear her calling for Lauren.

"She's here and you're on loudspeaker…"

"Okay. Were we in prison together?" I asked.

"Uh…yes. That's how we met. Why? Who are you proving to this time?"

"This guy, Casper. He doesn't believe I was in prison. Talk to him, you're on loudspeaker," I replied.

"Hi, Casper," Lauren said. "Why don't you believe our little angel Ashli was in prison? Well, it was more Juvie, wasn't it?" Casper shot me a 'fine, you proved me wrong this time' look.

"I believe her now…and by the way, she's no angel." Casper winked at me and went out the front door.

"Ashli!" Sophia sounded appalled. "Don't tell me you've hooked up with some random…"

"Ew! Sophia do you know what you just said? That's disgusting!" I exclaimed, shuddering inwardly.

"What? That's kind of what I would think when someone says 'she's no angel' about you!"

"So now you're saying I'm a slut?"

"No! I didn't say that! I was – "

"Implying it?"

"Okay, I'm not talking to you anymore. Lauren's taking over…" My shoulders were shaking with laughter as Lauren's voice came through the speaker.

"Hey, Ash." she greeted.

"Hi Lauren. Look, before Soph goes into cardiac arrest or something, tell her I was joking, okay?"

"Can do. Hey Sophia! Ash was just joking!" I heard Lauren call.

"Bitch!" Came Sophia's reply.

"Ashli's on the phone?!" Now I could hear Shaun's voice added to the mix. "Hi Ashli!"

"Hi Shaun."

"ASHLI!" Bradie shouted, joining the conversation.

"BRADIE!" I exclaimed, laughing.

"Ash…" _Ah, shit_. Everyone silenced as Andy spoke.

"I have to go. Love you guys. Talk to you soon," I said hurriedly, hanging up. As everything was suddenly quiet, I let my head fall into my hands.

"They seem like good friends." Casper's voice startled me so much that I jumped.

"Oh…yeah. You don't even know the half of it."

"Why are you here?" Casper dropped into one of the old chairs at the table. I gladly followed his example.

"Do you mean here on Earth or here in the house?" I asked.

"Both…"

"Well my answer for both is – "

"Cas! You here bro?"

"In here!" Casper called. Two male figures appeared in the doorway.

"Hey, Cas. Who's this?" The one on the right said, bumping fists with Casper.

"Guys, this is Ashli. Ashli, this is Tyler" – he pointed to the one on the right – "and this is Luke" – he pointed to the one on the left – "they're the vandals that I was telling you about."

"Vandals? When did you tell me about vandals?" I asked curiously, knowing it would piss Casper off. He mouthed the word 'chicks' to Luke and Tyler, rolling his eyes. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him. The two newcomers snickered and nodded. My phone rang and I stood abruptly.

"Sorry," I said sweetly. "You're in my way." Pushing roughly past Luke and Tyler, I went into the living room and out onto the front porch. Ignoring the screen, I pressed the talk button.

"Hello?"

"I know you hung up because of me," Andy greeted, sounding guarded.

"Well done!" I said condescendingly.

"We have to work this out."

"Not when you call me a slut we don't!"

"I didn't call you a slut!" He exclaimed.

"Yes you did! And you implied that I was a bitch! If anything I should be saying the same about you."

"I didn't cheat on you!" He yelled.

"I'm not having this stupid conversation again! If you're still stuck on the whole concept of Rianna and I, then maybe you should go back to school!"

"I don't know why you keep saying I've cheated – "

"Just forget about it then! If you don't understand then just forget it, okay?"

"No, I'm not going to forget about it just because you're pissed off at me," he declared.

"Fine then," I hissed. "Don't forget about it. But there is one thing you can forget about: calling me again." Before he could reply, I hung up. I had developed a bad habit of hanging up on people. After breathing slowly and deeply for a few seconds, I went back inside. The three boys were still in the kitchen and I took it as some time to let off steam. It was still bucketing outside and I didn't hesitate to change into shorts. You must be thinking 'Shorts? Why shorts?!' but it's way easier to change out of soaked shorts than it is to change out of soaked skinny jeans. Pulling on my Converse runners, I stepped out into the rain. I shivered as the freezing droplets hit my back or trickled down my neck. Slowly walking down the middle of the road, I forbid myself to cry. I had done a lot of crying over my life recently and it made no sense to sulk when I finally had what I wanted; freedom. Plus anyway, the rain could cry for me. There was a sharp crack from above and I ducked instinctively. A bright flash of lightening which made everything look like daytime lit up the sky, sending me into a little state of panic. It's never good to be outside in a storm. Unless of course you have a suicide wish. I began to run slowly for I had absolutely no idea where to go. There was the supermarket but I would be recognised fairly easily. It struck me. Claire! I could go to Claire's. Then I checked the time on my phone and my hopes fell. She had said not to visit between twelve in the afternoon and eleven at night. Well, shit. It was ten thirty. I slowed instantly and sank to my knees. Screwed. That word suited the state I was in perfectly. I was screwed.


	11. Chapter 11

AN: I am so sorry I haven't updated!!!! I've just gone back to school and I have had no time to write.

But here is the next chapter and I'm working on Chapter 12 xx

**Undisclosed Desires - Muse**

As I sat on the ground, I thought.

"What am I doing here?" I whispered at one stage. People noticed me sitting in the middle of the road, and swerved to avoid me. At one point someone slowed down and pulled up in front of me, winding down their window. It was a woman about forty years of age.

"Excuse me, are you alright?" she called through the pouring rain. I just stared at her. Eventually, she blinked twice, rolled up her window and drove off. Bitch. Well, she was probably my last hope of going somewhere warm. Dragging myself to my feet, I staggered off down the road. My teeth were chattering and I was shivering violently. The cold had settled into my bones and it felt like little icicles had buried themselves in my veins, freezing my blood. I had no idea where my feet were taking me until I found myself standing in front of a bus shelter.

"What the f-f-fuck are my legs th-thinking?" I stammered, sounding a little crazy. Who says their legs can think? Then I saw it. The poster. I knew exactly where I had to go after that. Of course, I had to find a way of getting half way across the suburb. So I stole a bike. (Okay, I'm not proud of what I did but it had to be done! And anyway, if the owner of the bike hadn't left it in their front yard, I wouldn't have taken it!) After briefly stopping into a milk bar and asking for directions, I rode on. After half an hour of solid riding, I came to a stop outside where I needed to be. It was quiet. Apart from the blasting music coming from inside. And the screaming fans. And all the people trying to sneak in. There was no way in Hell I was going to get in through the front door, so I quietly wheeled my bike round the back. There were another two bouncers – who were undercover, the lucky bastards – guarding the door there and I cussed silently. Until I caught one of their faces. My heart leapt. I approached them carefully, stepping into the glow of streetlight.

"There's no access beyond this point, Miss," one of them said, stepping forward and holding up a hand.

"Oh, g-get st-stuffed Sam," I half-sighed half-growled. He looked stunned and shocked.

"Ashli? What are you doing here?" He asked, curiosity taking over his features.

"J-just let m-me in. P-please Sam?" I begged, looking at him sincerely. He stepped back to confer with the other guard – whose name was Jack. After a few seconds, he gave me his answer.

"No."

"What?!" I shrieked. "Sam, I r-rode for half an hour to g-get here. You c-can't say n-no!"

"Yes I can. You're not part of the tour anymore. You have no privileges," he said stonily. I glared at him for a second before spitting at his feet and stalking off. As I rounded a corner, I saw a series of metal rungs attached to the wall. When I got closer, I saw it was a ladder and I did a little dance of joy. Quickly, I wheeled my new bike behind a cluster of drenched bushes and hurried over to the ladder. I glanced around before making my ascent onto the roof. Well, to say the least, it was slippery. I searched frantically for an entrance into the building. As I walked a little closer to the edge of the roof, something clanged under my foot. I stepped back and inspected the object. It was a manhole. I bent to my knees, gripped the rusty handle and heaved for all I was worth. My attempts went to no avail, as it stayed stubbornly closed.

"Fuck!" I shouted, kicking it with the toe of my shoe. Bad idea. Wet Converse are not the ideal thing to kick solid, inanimate objects with. It hurts. After cussing again – loudly – I went in search of another entry. Turns out there _was_ another entrance…just on the complete other side of the roof. My trek over was kind of frustrating, considering I slipped and fell on my arse about a million times. After I finally did get there though, and tugged on another rusty handle, I gave a huge sigh of relief. It yielded. I stood on the edge, trying to find a way of getting down. Unfortunately, there was no ladder, there was no rope and there was no other way for me to get down unless I jumped. Gripping the opposite side of the hole, I carefully shimmied to the very edge of the side I was sitting on and, eventually, swung out so I was dangling from the manhole. As I swung slowly, I pried my fingers from the edge and gently dropped onto the floor. My ankles jarred and I bit my lip to stop myself from swearing violently.

"Fuck, that hurt," I hissed through clenched teeth. After a few seconds of steady breathing, I carefully walked to the end of the hall and peeked down both the adjoining corridors. Clear. But which way should I go? Voices carried down from the right so I went up there. Even though I was dreading seeing my friends again, I knew I had to. It gave me some sort of weird satisfaction to know that they were worried about me. And I needed to quell that satisfaction before I got obsessive over it. I reached a closed door, light seeping through the crack at the bottom. Stopping short, I took a deep breath, listening to the voices that came from inside. It was them alright. Closing my eyes, I closed my hand into a fist, rose it to the door and rapped sharply three times. The voices ceased and someone mumbled 'I'll get it'. The door swung open and I flinched automatically at their reactions. Gasps of disbelief sounded and I squeezed my eyes shut even more. Something tugged me roughly into the room and the door shut behind me. My head was ducked, my hands curled into fists and my eyes glued shut. Then some giant mass hit me and I stumbled backwards. I opened my eyes to find Bradie hugging me. Laughing a little, I wrapped my arms around his waist and returned the gesture of affection. He was just like an older brother; one you could always count on to be there for you…no matter how much you fuck up. Which in my case, was a lot. After a couple of seconds, he pulled away, not completely meeting my gaze.

"I missed you," he said softly. Tears of some emotion I couldn't depict pooled in my eyes and I smiled a little. He backed away a bit and sat down. Andy had been the one to open the door and he was staring at me in disbelief.

"I…uh…" I stammered pathetically, eyes flicking over everyone's face, avoiding Andy's which was now full of anger and sorrow.

"Why are you here?" Shaun whispered softly.

"I…um…you…"

"You have to leave. Now," Andy said flatly from behind me. His voice was a solid monotone and it freaked me out to hear it coming from his mouth.

"I…I need to talk to you," I blurted, suddenly finding the will to form words.

"You as in us? Or you as in Andy?" Lauren asked, talking for the first time. Her voice held hurt and disappointment, my heart twisting to hear it from her mouth.

"Us…I mean, you guys. All of you…" I hung my head, biting my lip to stop anything unwanted from slipping out.

"Then talk." Sophia's voice sounded oddly strained and it made me wonder what I'd done wrong.

"I wanted to say I was sorry. For running off and all that. It…it wasn't fair of me and I wasn't…thinking straight, I guess," I apologised meekly. There was a silence that made me want to cry and I bit the inside of my cheek harshly.

"We're – " Shaun began to say before the door burst open and his words were cut off. Rianna entered the room with a flourish and greeted Andy in a _very_ friendly manner. Too friendly for my liking. Averting my bitter gaze, I dug my fingernails into my palms, inviting the small stabs of pain that accompanied the action. After three endless seconds, I felt everyone's eyes on me.

"What?" I snapped, my voice cracking. Damn my emotions to hell. Slowly, I lifted my head and stared at the newcomer, a glitter of hate shining in my eyes. Rianna was smirking smugly, an arm draped possessively over Andy's shoulder.

"Hey, Ash," she said simply, her voice filled with implications. I struggled to keep myself planted in the one spot as my fingers itched to slap her. "How've you been?"

"Well I was alright until you came along," I fired back. She looked mock-hurt, hand placed sincerely over her heart.

"What have I done?" she sounded so innocent – though she clearly wasn't – that I was about to burst out laughing.

"Do you want the list or the shorter version?"

"Either one would do," she said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. I hated it when she did that. In fact, I hated it when _anyone_ did that. Just as I opened my mouth to bite back, Sophia stood and walked between us.

"Enough," she declared, holding up her hands, palm out, facing Rianna and I.

"I came here to talk to my friends. Not backstabbing bitches," I growled, skirting around Sophia and reaching for the door.

"Please," Lauren cried, "don't go again!" The black void opened up again inside my chest and I compressed my lips into a thin line, fighting back the urge to either scream or cry. Without turning, I replied quietly. "I have to. I…I didn't need to come here, but I had to see you all. That…that doesn't – "

"Please." Bradie's voice was barely above a whisper but it ripped me to shreds on the inside, making the accusing beads of moisture prick behind my eyes. There was a silence.

"Let her go." This time the tears fell. My body was still for a second before I slowly turned towards Andy. When he registered my chagrin, a pained look crossed his face. He stepped forward towards me, Rianna's arm slipping from his shoulder. Her hand shot out and grabbed Andy's, trying to hold him back.

"Let her go!" she insisted.

"My goodness you are _such_ a bitch!" Lauren exclaimed, striding over to Rianna and grasping her wrist tightly. While they fought, Andy took another step towards me. He seemed almost tentative, hesitant even. In one second, all the emotion I'd felt for him came rushing back and I clutched at my stomach, the black void opening even wider.

"Please don't go again," he whispered, hand reaching out to touch my cheek. Jerking backwards, I avoided his gaze and reached for the door. "Just, promise me you'll come back soon. Please?" I looked into his eyes and shook my head.

"I'm sick of coming back just for you. I'm not promising you anything," I said flatly, and held up my hand when he opened his mouth to speak. "Just forget about me. It'd be easier for you that way. Bye." On the word 'bye' I rose my voice to address the whole room – who had just heard everything I had said – and gave a little nod before slipping out into the hall. As I began to jog down the hall, wiping away my tears, a voice sounded from behind me.

"I thought I said you couldn't come in here." I froze in my tracks and spun around. Sam and Jack were standing at the end of the hall, looking very, very, angry.

"Since when do I listen to you, Sam?" I remarked.

"Since I became security. And since you were fined," he replied matter-of-factly.

"You gotta catch me first," I sighed, backing away. They both started forward, jogging as I began to move faster. Eventually, I figured that if I were going to run, it would be easier and safer when I was facing forward. Just before I reached the back door, a hand closed around my shoulder and I lurched backwards, tripping and falling onto my butt. The two men stood over me, looking like I'd just thrown up all over their new expensive leather shoes. For a moment I sat on the floor, staring up at them with a dazed look on my face. Until, of course, Sam demanded I get up and grabbed my wrist. "Do you have some sort of holding cell here, Sammy?" I asked, making sure I sounded condescending.

"You're on thin ice," he grumbled, towing me back down the hall in the opposite direction.

"Really? Doesn't look like it." I made a point of gazing at the ground.

"You look so ridiculous wearing wet clothes," Jack said, smirking unprofessionally.

"You look so ridiculous wearing that mask," I replied sweetly, smiling angelically. When he realised what I was suggesting, his face snapped back to a tough-guy kind of thing and pushed me forward sharply. I stumbled and fell to my knees. "You dickhead!" I shouted, scrambling to my feet and shoving him back. A door opened down the hall and my friends pooled out of it, gaping at the unfolding scene.

"I knew it was going to be her," Rianna sighed theatrically, hands on hips. Lauren and Sophia simultaneously shot her angry looks, much to Rianna's obliviousness. Jack stabilised himself and grabbed my shoulder, shaking me a little bit. I immediately placed my hand over his and attempted to pry off his fingers.

"Get off," I growled lowly. He just his fingers in harder and I could feel my skin bruising. "Get off!" I shouted, digging my nails into the back of his hand. Jack – with his free hand – grabbed my other shoulder and pushed me back against the wall roughly. I let out a small yelp and struggled against his grip. My legs kicked aimlessly, striking Jack a couple of times. When I did kick him quite forcefully though, he pulled me forward and pushed me back again. That was enough to push me over the edge. I slammed my palm into his nose and he flew away from me, knocking into Sam. I grinned in triumph for a moment before biting my lip; Jack was glaring at me furiously. It took me one second to realise what I had to do. Run. I bolted towards my friends, still grinning. When I sped past Sophia and Lauren – Jack tailing perilously close – they both casually stuck out their feet, sending the bouncer flying into the floor. I skidded to a stop, spinning around and laughing hard. Then I saw Sam's figure coming after me and I had to move fast. Lauren and Soph both turned to look at me and I cocked an eyebrow. They both grinned, hugged Shaun and Bradie before taking off with me. We turned down endless corridors, aiming to find an exit but failing somewhat epically. Eventually, as we rounded the fiftieth corner, a big green 'Exit' sign loomed above a door. We charged forward, hitting the door with so much force that I was temporarily stunned. Tipping out into the night, we all tried to catch our breath a little before slowing down to a walk. Sam and Jack weren't following anymore, and I was glad that I could finally rest a little. A cool breeze blew through the empty parking lot, making me shiver in my wet clothes. The sky was a very dark grey, the stars concealed by the giant clouds. It wasn't raining though, and that was a good thing. Another cool breeze blew and I shivered again. My friends looked at me with a concerned light in their eyes but when I smiled ruefully, it was replaced by disappointment.

"You're leaving again, aren't you?" Sophia whispered, gazing at the ground as we walked.

"Yes. I have to," I replied softly, nudging her shoulder.

"We'll miss you, you know," Lauren stated clearly. Tears pooled in my eyes again and I dug my nails into my palms.

"I'll miss you guys too." My voice cracked and I smiled shakily as their eyes turned to me. In a second, I went from being cold to being enveloped in a bear hug by my two friends. Okay, I'm going to admit it now, I was crying. The thought of not seeing them for a while made the black void of loneliness seem never-ending. I felt their hands stroking my hair and patting my back as I sobbed pathetically. After a second I heard a series of footsteps getting closer, though that didn't make my sobs falter. Lauren said something to the people who had arrived and I felt myself being passed over to someone else. Instantly, I recognised who it was and wrapped my arms around them. Bradie hugged me close to him, stroking my hair and whispering 'Its okay' over and over again. It made my heart twist to know I would be leaving this comfort I felt with him. Eventually, the sobs turned to little hiccups and I lifted my head from Bradie's chest. My tear-stained cheeks felt tight and struggled to hold the fake little smile I'd plastered to my lips. Shaun was the next in line and squeezed me tight, kissing my forehead as he pulled away. Then there was Andy. He stood off to the side, hands stuffed into his black leather jacket. Rianna was posed next to him possessively, hand resting in the crook of his elbow. We gazed at each other for a moment before he stepped forward, disentangling himself from Rianna, and held out a hand. I was confused at the gesture but the pleading look in his eyes made the decision for me. Gently, I touched the tips of my fingers with his, his skin soft and smooth. He drew me in until I was about half a metre away.

"Can I hug you?" he whispered, a small, remorseful smile tugging at his mouth. I shrugged minutely and let him pull me into him. The mere touch of him made the tears flow again and I cried softly into his shoulder as his arms wrapped around me. "I'm so sorry," he whispered again and again, head resting on my neck. After a few moments, everyone coughed softly and shifted. I pulled away, letting my eyes linger on his for a second before turning away.

"Well, isn't this touching," Rianna sneered sarcastically, giving me a huge – fake – sickeningly sweet smile. Sophia reached forward, about to hold me back, but I held up a hand.

"You know what? I don't need to put up with all of you ridiculous _shit_," I said wearily.

"Well I don't need to – "

"Don't interrupt me!" I barked. That shut her up. "You think you can just push me and everyone else around like we're your freaking dolls! That's not what it's going to be like from now on." By the time I'd finished my rant, I was restraining _myself_. Rianna's lips were pressed into a line, eyes wild and angry.

"Come on," she instructed, grabbing Andy's hand and dragging him off. I watched him go sadly, shaking my head when he gave me an apologetic wave. Before I could break down again, I turned back to the rest of my friends.

"Thankyou," I whispered. "I'll see you soon." With one last hug from everyone, I walked back around the building to find my bike. It was still in the bushed where I'd left it last and I tugged it out, plucking off a few sticks and leaves. Hopping on, I pedalled off down the street. Great. I had to ride for half an hour before I could get anywhere near where I was temporarily living.

By the time I pulled into the practically non-existent driveway, my eyes were drooping close and I was stumbling all over the place. Making it to the front door, I ducked inside and sank down onto the couch.

"Casper!" I called drowsily.

"Ashli!" he called back from the kitchen.

"Come here…" he appeared in the doorway, a grin on his face.

"Nice time?" he asked.

"Fuck off," I yawned. "Any blankets?" He thought for a moment before disappearing and coming back a moment later with a doona over his arm. Draping it over the back of the couch, he rose an eyebrow at me. I stood and shooed him out before digging through my bags and finding some trackies and a t-shirt I could wear. Changing sluggishly, I flopped back down onto the couch and tied my wet hair into a bun. As I dragged the doona over me, Casper walked back in, arms crossed over his chest.

"What?" I mumbled, lying down. He chuckled softly.

"Nothing. Have a good sleep," he said before flicking off the light. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out.


	12. Chapter 12

AN: Heyy well this is Chapter Twelve! Thanks for all your support everyone XD

**Casper the Friendly Ghost**

When I woke, the sun shone bright onto my face. Needless to say, at an early hour of the morning, that is not how I would want to be woken. The memories from the night before flooded back and I groaned in pain. That was one of the hardest things I'd probably ever done.

"Morning." I screamed and sat bolt upright. Casper stood in the doorway, his half sarcastic-half smug smile painted onto his lips. When I saw it was him, my heart rate died down a little, the blood that was pumping in my eats drained to the rest of my body.

"Don't scare me like that!" I exclaimed, giving him a withering look.

"Sorry," he said, not sounding sorry at all. "You just looked so peaceful."

"That's generally why you let people _keep _sleeping," I mumbled, narrowing my eyes. He rolled his eyes and dropped down next to my feet.

"The Vandals wanna hang out. So we are going to see them," Casper announced, raising an eyebrow at my attire.

"It's called clothing," I said. "And what time is it?"

"You're the one with the phone." I sighed and swung myself off the couch, plodding over to my bag and fishing out my mobile. It was exactly 1:45 in the afternoon. So I was wrong. It wasn't morning.

Once I was dressed in a pair of skinny jeans and a t-shirt, Casper led me out the door. We took a left at the end of a driveway and continued until we came to the end of the street. There, we ducked through a gap in some trees and continued on until we came to a huge, old, clearly abandoned warehouse. Needles to say it was awesome. As I stared up at it in awe, Casper shot me a smug look.

"Come on," he sighed and grabbed my hand. I froze and stared down at our interlocked fingers. The memory of Andy the night before shot through me like freezing cold water and I hastily pulled my hand from his. Avoiding his gaze, I gestured forward and stepped up to the large sliding doors. I gripped the handles and painstakingly attempted to drag them apart. Yet they stayed stubbornly closed. I turned to Casper and gave him a questioning look. He seemed to be a little less hurt from my blow and gave me a little smile before trudging off round the side of the warehouse. Belatedly, I followed. He stopped in front of a wall and beckoned with a finger. A window was positioned a little over two metres above our heads.

"This is how we're going in?" I asked lightly.

"Yes. Come here." He sounded terse but there was a slight touch of humour to his tone. Obeying, I stood next to him and gazed up at the window. It was grimy and cloudy, barely even letting light in.

"How are we going to get in?"

"Put your foot in my hands," Casper instructed, clasping his two hands together above his knee. I did as he said and waited for the next step. "Now, when I say 'go' you have to push off from my hand and grab onto the window sill. I can try to keep you there for as long as I can but while you're up there, you have to open the window. Okay?" I nodded.

"Okay."

"Ready, set, GO!" Just as told, I pushed against Casper's hand and scrabbled for the window ledge. My hands made a purchase and I made a noise of triumph. "Now…try to…open it…" Casper grunted from below. I didn't think I was _that_ heavy. My fingers crept forward and grasped an indent in the wood, carefully heaving the window open.

"I got it!" I yelled once it was gaping.

"Climb…in…" I sighed and threw my arms through the window and grabbed the inside ledge before using my core strength to pull myself up and inside. A whole lot of scaffolding was set up inside the warehouse, covering every bare inch of the place, except for a loft and a little in one corner. "Ashli!" I stuck my head back outside. "Yeah?" I asked.

"Reach down and see if you can grab my hands. If not then we're kinda fucked…" I laughed and held up a finger. Carefully, I lay down on the scaffolding, shuffling forward so my chest and arms were hanging out of the window. I stretched my arms down towards Casper who stood on his tiptoes and extended his own limbs. Once or twice, our fingers brushed in attempt to grab onto each other. On about the third try, I reached down just a little more and grabbed his hands.

"Now help me up," Casper instructed. I blanched.

"You want me to pull you up here? Are you kidding?"

"No. Just pull me a little. I can do the rest," he said. Sighing, I rolled my eyes and pulled. His feet practically did all the work as he half-climbed up the wall. When he heaved himself inside, I was almost as puffed as he was. Once we had regained our breath, Casper stood and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Luke! Tyler!"

"Casper!" Someone called from down below. "Get down here, man!" Grinning, Casper jogged over to a ladder that led to another lower level of the scaffold. He stopped when he got to the edge and looked back, beckoning with a finger. I followed obediently and watched as he practically slid down the blue metal ladder. When he got to the bottom, I began to climb down as well but a huge shudder to the scaffolding scared me half to death and I let go. Falling unceremoniously to the ground, I swore and struggled to my feet.

"Hey, are you okay?" Casper asked, holding my elbow and I stabilised myself. I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Tyler and Luke plus a few other boys appeared in front of us and they grinned.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," Luke said, not sounding sorry one bit. I just rolled my eyes and glared.

"Nice of you to swing by. Uh…" Tyler began, squinting at me.

"Ashli," I supplied.

"Yeah, Ashli, these are some of our friends, Jake, Max and Corey." He pointed to each one in turn. I nodded and rubbed my hip, willing away the pain that had accompanied my fall.

"Anyway, Casper, we found something you might like. Come with us…" Luke motioned for all the boys to follow. When I took a step forward to tag along, Luke snickered. "I didn't say you." He grinned, raising an eyebrow.

"My bad. Didn't think you were such a dickhead," I responded sweetly. They all stopped and I could see Casper's eyes grow wide.

"What?" Luke spat. I just stared at him intimidatingly, eyebrow raised. He took a step forward, towards me, anger burning in his eyes.

"Hey, take it easy…" Tyler soothed, hand on his friend's shoulder. "She doesn't know when she isn't wanted." My stomach clenched as I jumped forward, hitting Tyler's nose with my fist. He stumbled backwards as Jake glared openly at me.

"Fuck off," I hissed, hands clenched at my sides. The other three boys looked a little startled and took a step backwards, but Jake held his place. We glared straight into each other's eyes before he took a step backwards and held a hand towards a door.

"You know where to go," he said in a scary-quiet voice. My lips curled up, ready to sneer back and my nostrils flared, getting ready to fight. Until I felt a hand come down on my arm. Casper pleaded with his eyes, begging me to leave. I narrowed my own eyes at him, wondering what the heck he was doing. After a second, I gave up.

"Fine. I'll see you bitches later." I smiled angelically and strode towards the door, throwing it open and walking out into the sunlight. My phone vibrated in my pocket and I pulled it out, seeing the caller ID as it read Sophia. Sighing, I answered it as I went back onto the road.

"Hey," I greeted.

"Hi. How are you?"

"Pissed off. You?"

"I'm okay. Look, I know you said you couldn't come back and all that, but Lauren and I want to catch up. We're in the city for one more day until we move on. Can you meet us somewhere?" She asked. I thought.

"I guess. Where do you wanna meet?"

"Tiamo. It's on Lygon Street. When can you get there?"

"In about an hour. See you then," I replied before saying goodbye and hanging up. "Casper!!!!" I yelled towards the warehouse.

"What?!?!" I heard his reply.

"I'm going to see some people!! I'll be back later!!!!"

"Okay!!!!!" Laughing, I continued on.

Eventually, I found a train station and trailed along behind some business guy in a suit. When he got to the ticket machine, I ducked around him and ran for the train that was heading for the city. No one stopped me as I jumped into one of the carriages and found a seat in the corner. There was a bunch of teenage boys sitting across from me and a few of them began calling out…not very nice things. Until I flipped them off and gave them my meanest glare.

I wasn't disturbed until it was time for me to get off at the station. I figured that if I ran very fast, no one would ask for a ticket. It seems that I was right. I emerged into the sunlight, puffed and tired, striding down the street until I came to a map that was positioned on a corner. Lygon Street was exactly a block away and I didn't hesitate to run there. When I arrived at Tiamo, I could see Lauren and Sophia sitting at a table through the window. Carefully, I pushed on the door and went in, ducking around strings of cork that hung from the frame. I arrived at my friend's table and smiled when they looked up in surprise.

"Hey," said softly. They grinned and told me to sit down.

"I'm going to go get some drinks. What do you guys want?" Lauren asked, starting to stand.

"I'll grab them," I volunteered, standing up and scooting around the table.

"You sure?" Lauren asked.

"Yeah…I just might need to borrow some money," I replied. She laughed and dug out a twenty from her wallet.

"Ah, Ashli. Always the charmer," she sighed. I grinned and strode up to the counter.

"Hi," I greeted the girl. "I'll grab three Cokes, thanks." I handed over the money and waited as she gave me the change and drinks. Shoving the excess money into my pocket, I grabbed the three glasses around the middle and carefully began to walk back to the table. Halfway though, my plan was foiled as some guy bumped into me, sending the ice cold drinks cascading down the front of me. I gasped and stared down at the Coke that stained my shirt and jeans.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" The guy exclaimed.

"It's…okay. Doesn't matter," I replied hurriedly, sidestepping the liquid and with the last shred of dignity I had left, strode back to my table. When I returned, Lauren and Sophia looked very confused.

"I hope you like Coke-less Coke," I told them, setting the three now empty glasses down in front of them.

"No thanks. But I appreciate the effort," Sophia said, eyeing the glasses.

"Why are you wet?" Lauren asked.

"Some guy knocked into me and made me spill everything," I explained, pulling at my soaked shirt. "Can I borrow ten dollars?" I asked. This time, Sophia pulled out some money and handed it over. "I'll be back." As I ducked outside, I navigated my way down to a Vinnie's I saw on my way. Once there, I found a pair of shorts and a t-shirt paid for them and quickly changed when I got back to Tiamo. When I finally sat back down, I found that someone had grabbed us some more drinks. I gratefully took a long sip of my Coke and leaned back.

"So, how are things on tour?" I asked.

"Alright, I guess," Lauren replied.

"How's…Andy?"

"He's okay. Been a little quiet lately but he's just missing you," Sophia said. Why was I always the centre of everyone's problems?

"And Rianna?" They both looked shocked at my sudden question.

"She's…okay, I guess."

"No, I mean how's she been in relation to Andy?"

"Terrible," Lauren declared.

"Well, that's nice and blunt," I said sarcastically.

"No, really. She's been like a fucking _leech_! He can't go anywhere without her tagging along! Even when he was going to the bathroom at the hotel, she was following. Then he kind of told her that he was going to the bathroom. But she still waited outside the door."

"I…I don't know what to do," I whispered. "If I come back then I know I won't be able to deal with it all. But if I stay away then I'm not going to be able to deal with it either. And I can't leave Casper behind. It's not fair…"

"Just come back. Even if it's for a little bit. Please?" Sophia begged. I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment before sighing.

"Fine. But if Rianna pisses me off, even just a little bit, then I'm leaving. Okay?" As soon as I opened my eyes, I was enveloped in a huge hug by my two laughing friends.

"Okay. Come on. We better get going," Lauren said, checking her watch as she pulled away.

"Wait! I have to go grab my stuff from the house. And tell Casper where I'm going," I said as we walked outside. They led me down the street a little until they came to the van. "You took the van?" I asked doubtfully as Lauren unlocked it with the keys.

"Of course. There was no other car. And we weren't exactly supposed to go out so there was no other mean of instant transport," Sophia explained somewhat proudly. I shook my head in disbelief and climbed into the back seat. It felt odd to have the whole van practically empty and I grinned. The presence of the boys was more than I'd thought. As we drove, I filled them in on what had been going on while I was away, telling them about Casper and the house. Eventually, we came to Mount Waverely and I gave them directions to Casper's – well, my Aunt's – home. When we arrived I noticed that he wasn't home yet and sighed.

"We have to go to the warehouse," I said. "Casper isn't here. I'll just grab my stuff, though." Running inside, I packed all of my things and emerged into the sunlight a moment later. We drove down to end of the court then hopped out and went into the warehouse via the back door. There was no way I was trying to get three people through a window.

"Casper!" I called once inside. "CASPER!" His laughter floated down from the loft and I made for a ladder, climbing it steadily. I could hear Sophia and Lauren following behind. When I got to the top, I pulled myself over the edge and gazed around. All of the boys were sitting next to a big window, laughing about something. "CASPER!" I shouted. He looked up, grinning his sarcastic-smug smile when he saw me.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Uh…hi. Look I'm going back with my friends. I just thought I would tell you now." His face fell considerably.

"You're leaving? Um…okay. I'll see you later then…"

"Casper, I'm sorry. I'll come back though. I promise," I apologised meekly. He nodded once, a sure sign that he was pissed.

"Well, hey there. I haven't seen you around – " one of the boys said at my two friends.

"NO HITTING ON MY FRIENDS!" I shouted before spinning on my heel and shooing Sophia and Lauren down the ladder. With one last glance at Casper, I made my descent onto the ground. Just as we were about to walk out the door, I heard someone call my name. I turned to see Casper hastily climbing down the ladder.

"Ashli!" he called again. "Do you promise?" It took me a moment to comprehend what he meant.

"I promise." Walking forward quickly, I gave him a small hug before waving goodbye and slipping out the door.

The ride back to the city was a silent one, consisting of the radio playing and my eyes closing every ten minutes. It was then that I realised how hungry I was, for my stomach made very odd noises every two seconds. After a while, I was shaken awake by Sophia who was grinning at me.

"Did you know that Lauren swears in her sleep?" she asked. "She kept saying 'piss off!' over and over again!" I laughed once then yawned as I rubbed my eyes. The door was open and light spilled through into the van. Carefully, I dropped out onto the asphalt and grabbed my bag before following Sophia into a set of elevators.

"Okay, uh, Andy doesn't know you're coming back. So if he takes it badly, don't worry, okay?" she told me, biting her lip. I nodded once, fear and anticipation settling into my stomach. When the door 'dinged' at our floor, my breathing accelerated a heap and my stomach had begun doing backflips. We slowly walked down the hall until we came to the room. Sophia knocked twice and waited. After a second, we heard laughter and footsteps approaching the door. It opened to reveal Bradie.

"Ashli!" he exclaimed, grabbing me into a brotherly hug.

"Hey Bradie," I replied pathetically. He pulled me into the room after greeting Sophia very…cheerfully. Shaun was the next to bombard me as he lift me off the ground with his hug. I laughed as he kissed my forehead. Standing off to the side were Rianna and Andy, looking both shocked and happy – well, mainly in Andy's case. I waved once before Andy spoke softly.

"Hi," he whispered. Well, to put it nicely, Andy looked bad. There were some pretty dark circles under his eyes and his hair looked like a bird's nest. His jeans were rumpled and his t-shirt was dirty. And that's putting it nicely.

"Hey, Andy," I replied. It was then I realised everyone was tense, like they were waiting for me to lash out.  
"Well this is lovely. But we have places to go," Rianna interjected rudely, grabbing Andy's arm.

"No. You can leave. But he's staying," I piped up, pointing to Andy. His face practically lit up at my words. She gave a snort of anger and turned to the boy next to her.

"Are you coming?" she asked icily. He shook his head.

"No. I'm staying," Andy said firmly. Rianna gave another snort and twitched out the door.

"What a bitch," I sighed, glaring after her. It was then that I noticed something else. Andy and I were the only two left in the room. I sighed again and licked my lips. He held out his hand and I remembered the night before. Tentatively, I put my own hand over his and he drew me in once again, wrapping his arms around my middle. I could also tell that he smelt funny. Not B.O. or anything. He smelt like Rianna. It felt good to be able to smother that scent with my own. Unfortunately, those ugly betraying tears came again and I cried shamelessly into his shoulder. Well, I was ruined to say the least. When he began to pull away, I almost didn't want it to end and wiped at my eyes. Pathetic described me perfectly at that moment. Andy's eyes lingered on my lips before gazing into my eyes. He took a step forward, brushing his thumb across my cheek, wiping away a stray tear. I leaned into him, reaching up on my toes and brushing my lips across his. The oh-so familiar electric shock bounded through me once more. I was back. And nothing was going to get between my friends and me. Not this time.

**AN: URGENT!!!! YOU MUST READ IF YOU LIKE/LOVE THIS STORY!!!!**

Okay, so I am running out of ideas for Hush Hush and desperately need some help. I've figured that you would all be crushed if I finished suddenly and then decided that was mean, so, I am asking for help. I need y'all to send me some ideas that I can utilise (awesome word XP). I will pick the best one/s and use them to continue Hush Hush. But please – please! – don't say stuff like "get Andy and Ashli back together then they can live happily ever after!" haha because although that's what you all want, you kind of need to build up to that. Thanks

Peace.


	13. Chapter 13

**AN:** Hey everyone! Here is Chapter Thirteen!!!

I want to thank everybody who sent me their awesome ideas and if they haven't been used in this chapter then they will probably be used in the coming ones. The idea for the second part of Chap 13 comes from xEmilia so I thankyou very much for the inspiration. The next chapters will be based on ideas that have been given in. Hope you enjoy…

**Sometimes the things you want come with a price. Sometimes a very evil and nasty price.**

There was a burst of laughter from behind me when Andy and I broke apart, and I saw Sophia and Lauren's head poking round the corner. Giving them a half-hearted glare, I sighed as they ducked back into the living room. Andy grinned cheekily at me and stepped forward, taking my hand softly. He ducked down, grinning still. Until the door banged open and Sam waltzed in, looking not exactly ecstatic. I flinched back from Andy, breaking the grip between our fingers.

"What are you doing here?" Sam practically shouted.

"What aren't I doing here?" I replied, purposefully being annoying.

"You're off the tour, end of story," he said, ignoring my comment.

"No I'm not. I'm still in Hush Hush. I'm not out of anything."

"Yes. Out." He pointed to the door.

"Woah no! You are _not_ kicking me out again!" I exclaimed, holding up a finger.

"Just watch me." Sam took a step forward and, luckily, Lauren, Sophia, Shaun and Bradie decided to appear.

"Sam, she's not leaving," Lauren said matter-of-factly.

"Ashli hasn't done anything wrong," Bradie chimed in.

"That's not what I've been told," Sam replied. Rianna twitched in the door, smiling an extremely fake sweet smile.

"My God this is like fucking Primary School!" I groaned, rubbing my eyes.

"Language!" Rianna exclaimed.

"Oh, piss off! You're the one who got me into this fucking mess!" I shouted.

"Language!" Sam repeated. "Now! Rianna told me that you just walked right in here and started cussing and trying to attack her."

"Yes that's exactly what I _didn't_ do." I snapped.

"I wonder which one I should believe. The one who keeps running off and getting into fights, or the one who hasn't done anything wrong?" Sam said sarcastically.

"Believe _me_."

"So now you're saying I'm a liar?" Rianna asked me.

"Yes. I'm saying exactly that. Amongst other stuff," I hissed.

"Out," Sam said again, this time in a no-messing-around tone.

"No."

"."

"She isn't going!" Sophia yelled.

"You have no say in this!" Sam shouted.

"And neither do you!" I exclaimed exasperatedly.

"Yes, I do. Out, now. Before I call the security." There was the scary-quiet voice again.

"No. I'm not leaving again just because _she_ has you all curled around her finger!"

"GET OUT!" He bellowed. Needless to say, that shut me up quite effectively. There was silence as I stared coldly at Sam who was breathing heavily.

"She's not leaving." Andy's voice startled me out of my staring competition.

"What?!" Rianna screeched.

"Ashli. Isn't. Leaving." He annunciated every word perfectly, as if Rianna and Sam could not understand.

"Why not?!" Rianna screeched again.

"Because she isn't!" Shaun replied. There was silence. Sam looked uncertain, eyes darting between Rianna and I, until he finally stopped and gave a doubtful sigh.

"Fine," he said wearily. "But this is your _last chance_." Sam pointed a finger at me, a warning look clear in his eyes.

"That's what you said last time," I muttered, rolling my eyes.

"Don't push it. We're leaving in an hour. Get packing." With that, Sam turned on his heel and stalked out. I stared boredly at Rianna while she glared at me and hissed something along the lines of 'You haven't won yet, Ashli.' Wow, cliché much? As she twitched back out the door, I made obscene gestures at her back. Okay, so it wasn't very mature, but she seriously pissed me off.

"So you're staying?" Bradie asked, shushing Sophia and Lauren who were in hysterics.

"For now," I replied.

"Alright is everybody ready?" Shaun's voice rang through the room an hour after my arrival. I'd eaten a snack not too long ago and it was just settling into my stomach. There was a chorus of 'Yes' from bedrooms and the living room, as I sat on the couch, not quite sure of what to do.

"You coming?" Sophia nudged me in the shoulder and held up her bags.

"Oh, right. Yeah." I stood and followed her out of the room, trailing behind Shaun who had about three – of his own – bags on each arm. Laughing, I went forward to help. "Give me one," I told him, reaching out.

"Where are your bags?" he asked.

"My bags and bass are already in the van," I replied. "Now give me one of yours." Sighing, he handed over the heaviest. Once we were all down into the underground parking, Sam announced that we would have a seating plan. An audible groan sounded through us and I began to get worried. "Okay, in the front with me will be Ashli." I could swear I nearly burst into tears. "In the middle seats will be Shaun, Lauren and Bradie. If Sophia can fit as well then she can sit there too. And in the back will be Rianna and Andy." I groaned again and put my head in my hands.  
"Please tell me this isn't happening. _Please_!" I half moaned- half whispered.

"Everybody in!" One by one, we all climbed into the van, taking out assigned seats. As Andy passed me, an apologetic look passed over his face and I shook my head sadly. When Rianna passed, though, she smiled smugly at me and my fingers itched to slap her. Of course, I knew that would probably get me kicked off the tour…again. So I kept my burning rage down and decided to wait until I had a reason to slap her more than just once. So, irked, I climbed up and sat in my seat. As we drove through the city streets, I plugged my iPod into my ears, turned My Chemical Romance up to full blast, and squeezed my eyes shut, trying to drown out the annoying flirtatious laughter that floated up from Rianna's evil little mouth. At one stage, about half an hour into the drive, there was a tap on my shoulder. Gerard Way's screaming disappeared as I paused the music, looking back. Andy was sitting behind me, everyone else gone.

"We're going to grab some dinner. Wanna come?" He looked incredibly hopeful so I mustered up a smile, and nodded, jumping out of my seat. We were stopped at a place called Hegbert's Diner; an old retro restaurant which looked like it was pulled out of the 50's. Before we got to the door, Andy's hand reached for mine, fingers twining with my own. I grinned to myself, and pulled open the big glass door. Inside, the walls were adorned with posters of old movie stars like Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley. Everyone was sitting in a booth in the corner as Lauren looked up, eyes bugging when she saw our interlocked hands. After a moment, she waved us over, seeming to recover from her shock. As we approached, Rianna's eyes wandered up to Andy and I, instantly turning sour. Shaun shuffled over, making room for us and I slid into the booth, settling into the comfortable seat.

"I'm ordering everyone pancakes," Sam announced, standing up and pulling his wallet from his pocket.  
"I won't have any," I said before he could leave.

"You'd only need one anyway," Sophia sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes.

"Please don't. That's just wrong!" I exclaimed, referring to the old joke we used to taunt each other with.

"Oh please! Do you even remember some of the stuff you used to say to me?" Sophia replied, glaring.

"What did she say?" Bradie asked.

"She was seriously the Queen of Sick Minds!" My friend exclaimed, throwing up her hands.

"I wasn't that bad!" I protested.

"Not that bad? NOT THAT BAD?!"

"Calm down! The both of you!" Lauren laughed, holding up her hands.

"What does she mean by 'Queen of Sick Minds'?" Andy asked in my ear, grinning slightly.

"You don't want to know," I replied quietly, winking slyly. He grinned even more and winked back. I laughed and rest my head on his shoulder, sighing contentedly.

"Okaaaay I'd hate to break up this loving moment," Lauren said, "but dinner is here." A waitress appeared behind Sam (who had just returned) with a tray full of pancakes and set a plate down in front of everyone but me. I watched on as everyone dug in, forking huge bites into their mouths.

"Are you sure you don't want some?" Andy asked, holding up his fork.

"Uh, no thanks. I ate not too long ago. I'm fine," I replied, smiling. As everyone ate in silence, Rianna cleared her throat and prepared to talk. I took a drink of water as she began to speak.

"Okay, so I talked to Sam about something really important," she said. "And I've decided that I want to join Hush Hush." I spurted my water over the table, bursting into a coughing fit. I could see that Sophia and Lauren were frozen, staring in horror at Rianna who was eating daintily.

"That," I declared, coughing a little more, "was not funny." Rianna shot me a red-hot glare.

"I wasn't joking, _Ashli_." I coughed some more, feeling like my lungs were about to explode. After I was silent, no one spoke. "Well?" Rianna asked insistently. "What do you think?"

"I think you're mad." Sophia announced bluntly. I could see Lauren trying to keep a straight face as her shoulders shook with barely restrained laughter. She glanced over at me and when I rose an eyebrow, she burst into an explosion of amusement, gasping for air. Once she had her laughter under control, she wiped tears from her eyes and motioned for us to continue.

"Well, Sam thought it was a good idea," Rianna sniffed.

"Sam thinks everything's a good idea," I muttered, rolling my eyes.

"Of course it is!" Sam exclaimed. "You all need a good influence in your band." I took one look at his face before cracking up.

"I'm sorry!" I gasped. "It's just – " I broke into laughter again. I could feel everyone's eyes on me and as I calmed down slowly, I realised that Sam didn't look exactly over-joyed.

"Anyway," he growled, "I've decided that either Rianna joins Hush Hush or you do not perform on the tour." I gasped.

"WHAT?! We're not even performing anymore!" I exclaimed.

"That's not what your two friends said." My eyes shifted to look over at Sophia and Lauren; both were wearing masks of guilt.

"What does he mean?"

"We said that if you came back we were going to continue performing for the tour. We're really sorry, Ash," Lauren explained.

"No, that's fine. I kind of miss playing in front of a crowd." I could tell they were shocked by my reaction.

"Exactly. Either Rianna joins or you don't tour anymore." Sam repeated.

"You have no say on who is in our band, Sam!" I exclaimed incredulously.

"We are in it because we _are friends with each other_," Sophia said clearly.

"I don't care," he said, sounding all parental. "She joins or you're out."

"I need to go to the bathroom," I said stonily and stood up, stepping on the table, around the plates and jumping off the end to the floor.

"Yeah, me too," Lauren agreed, doing the same, but came so close to stepping on Rianna's hand I almost cracked up. Sophia followed shortly after and looked at me expectantly.

"Actually," Shaun piped up, "I kinda need to go as well."

"No," Lauren said sternly. "You're staying here." With that, all three of us trooped into the Ladies Room. Once inside, I jumped up onto the counter, resting my back against the mirror. Lauren sat on the floor while Sophia leant against the wall.

"So, what are we going to do?" Lauren asked, blowing away some dirt that was scattered around her.

"Well, I say we need to perform. I feel shit leaving all our new fans like that," I claimed, crossing my arms.

"I agree. But if we want to perform, then Rianna" – Sophia spoke the name with distaste – "has to join. And there is no way in hell I'm letting her join." I gnawed on my bottom lip, groping desperately for an answer.

"Okay," I announced, "how 'bout this? We let her join – "

"No WAY!"

"– _but_ we kick her out just after the tour has ended. And we can giver her something really crappy to do. Like play the keyboard in the very corner of the stage." They both thought for a moment before glancing at each other.

"Alright," Lauren said doubtfully.

"Fine," Soph sighed. I nodded once before sliding off the counter onto the floor.

"Let's go then." As we made our way back to the booth and settled back into our seats, I cleared my throat. "Okay, we've decided that you can join. But we're kicking you out after the tour ends and you're playing keyboard." Rianna listened lazily.

"Uh, no. I'm not playing keyboard," she said.

"Then what are you going to play?"

"Bass." I blinked twice.

"Repeat that?"

"B. A. S. S." She annunciated each letter.

"Yeah, that's what I thought you said."

"Then why did you ask me to repeat it?" She asked smartly.

"Because I thought you were having some sort of spastic moment. You're not playing bass," I told her.

"Yes I am." She glanced semi-discreetly at Sam and I narrowed my eyes at him. "Sam said I could."

"Sam said _what!?_" I could barely contain my anger, managing to bite my tongue hard enough to stop from going absolutely ape.

"Sam said I could play bass. Oh, and sing." Rianna forked a small amount of pancake into her mouth and chewed delicately.

"Bass and singing is my thing!" I exclaimed, glaring at Sam. He shrugged.

"Well, she wanted to play bass and sing," he said calmly.

"No fucking way am I letting that bitch take my place!" I shouted, balling my hands into fists on the tabletop. The waitresses and the handful of other patrons stared at me, whispering to each other.

"She won't be taking your place." Sam's voice began to grow louder and fiercer.

"Yes she will be. It's not her band. It's mine, Sophia's and Lauren's."

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here!" Rianna exclaimed.

"Well I wish you weren't here, so shut it," I hissed. She made an 'ugh' sound and crossed her arms.

"Well that's too bad then. Either Rianna plays bass and sings, or you don't perform," Sam told us with finality. I noticed for the first time that Shaun, Andy and Bradie hadn't done or said anything since we'd gotten back from the bathroom. I leant back against the seat, glancing up at Andy from the corner of my eyes. He looked sort of pained, like he was trying to come to terms with something.

"Well, I need to go to the bathroom again," I declared and climbed up onto the table once more, jumping back down to the floor. Sophia and Lauren followed hastily and we marched back off to the Ladies. Once inside, I didn't hesitate.

"She's not taking my spot," I said simply.

"We know. But –" I cut Lauren off.

"But?"

"But if we are going to perform again, that's what we need to do."

"She. Is. Not. Taking. My. Spot."

"Then we don't perform." Sophia spoke this time, sounding forlorn and disappointed. I glanced between each of my friend's faces before sighing. I was seriously going to regret this.

"Fine." They both smiled reassuringly before pulling me into a hug.

When we went back outside, my stomach clenched with anger. Why Sam was being such a tool, I would never know. As we sat down yet again, Lauren took a deep breath, glancing over at me before speaking.

"We're playing," she said begrudgingly. Rianna blinked once, obviously not quite getting how easily we gave. After a second, she smiled triumphantly, yet there was a tinge of bitchiness in there too.

"I knew you'd come to your senses," she sighed. "But I'm going to need a little help with playing bass _and _singing." I growled lowly, not believing that she was saying this now. "Andy, maybe you could help me." It didn't sound like a question from her lips. I could hear Andy shift and then felt his eyes on me. Looking up at him, I only wished I had telepathic powers.

"I…uh, don't think that I can…" his voice trailed off as he turned his attention back to the girl in front of us.

"Are you sure?" Sam's voice held many implications beyond the words themselves. I stared forward, not wanting to draw any attention to the tears of hatred that burned in my eyes.

"Maybe I can help a little." Rianna clapped her hands together and laughed somewhat flirtatiously.

"Awesome. Well, I was thinking…" I tuned out her annoyingly aggravating tone and gazed out the window. Different thoughts floated through my head, being vaporised immediately as there was a tap on my shoulder. Rianna was sitting next to me, looking expectant. "Move," she ordered. My eyes drifted over to Sophia and Lauren who had been kicked out of their spots, looking incredibly pissed and shooting daggers at Rianna.

"Fuck off," I told her, irritated.

"Move." Ah, there were the implications again. I opened my mouth to speak when I felt someone slip their hand into mine and squeeze warningly. Sighing inwardly, I stood and went back over the table, this time settling down between Andy and Shaun on Andy's other side. After a few seconds of Rianna's blabbering and Sophia and Lauren's playful banter towards Bradie and Shaun, I felt Andy's fingers twine with mine, resting on the seat. I pulled the corners of my mouth up a little into a slight approximation of a smile as he did so. Even though I spent the next ten minutes attempting – and failing – to tune out all noises and talking from certain individuals, I was less than happy to have to sit in the front of the van when we set off again.

I refused to look at anything except for the passing landscape as we drove to our next destination; the airport. I had no idea why we weren't using the airport in the city instead of one a little outside Melbourne. As we drove on, I grew more and more annoyed and more and more aware of the decision I had made a little under half an hour ago. Rianna would be playing in my place for the rest of the tour. Well, not only would I not have a job in the band anymore, I was sure everyone wouldn't exactly love to hear Rianna sing. Of all people.

When we finally arrived at the airport and dug out all our bags and instruments, we trooped into the waiting area with our tickets. As I sat in a hard plastic chair with Nirvana playing in my ears, a flash of electric blue caught my eye. I turned my head, expecting to see a little kid with a toy, but was incredibly surprised. My mouth dropped open and my heartbeat almost came to a halt. A boy stood a little way away, seeming to be looking for someone. I stood slowly, dropping my iPod onto my seat.

"Where are you going?" Andy asked, glancing up from his iPhone.

"Casper!" I called. He turned, surprise crossing his face. I ran forward, almost jumping into his arms. He laughed and picked me off the ground, swinging me around as his arms wrapped around me. "What are you doing he?" I asked once he'd put me down. A grin stretched from ear to ear on his face, making him look like a little kid on Christmas morning.

"I heard you were – "

"Ashli?" Andy's confused voice sounded from behind me and I spun around.

"Oh. Andy. This is Casper. Casper, this is Andy," I introduced the two and watched as they eyed each other suspiciously.

"So _you're_ the dickhead," Casper said after a moment, shaking his hair out of his eyes. The almost ever-present smug-cocky smile spread across his lips and he draped an arm over my shoulder.

"Who are you?" I noticed the cold tone that entered Andy's voice.

"Casper."

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm coming with you."


	14. Chapter 14

**AN:** Heyy everybody here is Chapter Fourteen (YAY!) Hope you all like it. I think I'm still using xEmilia 's idea for this chapter…but I also think there is a little of one of keroseneREMEMBERING's ideas…If I haven't used yours yet then don't worry…no doubt it will be used later. ^.^

**Sometimes the youngest are the most faithful**

"You're what?" Andy and I asked together.

"I'm coming with you guys. I miss my little minion," Casper said, grinning down at me impishly.

"Since when am I _your _minion?" I asked playfully.

"Since I was the one who taught you the art of stealing from Safeway," he replied.

"Ah, come on! I was the one who stood up to the two dickheads you call Tyler and Luke."

"So you punched Tyler in the nose. Big deal," Casper laughed.

"Look, I think we need to talk to Sam before you come with us," I said.

"Who's Sam?"  
"The big oaf." I pointed him out and laughed when Casper snorted, unimpressed and started forward. After minutes of convincing Sam to let Casper come with us, we finally boarded our plane. Just as we sat down (Casper in the window seat, me in the middle and Andy on the aisle with everyone else across from and behind us), Sophia cussed.

"Shit! My PSP's in my case!" She exclaimed grumpily. Bradie made a 'naw' noise and handed over his. She grinned happily and gave him a little hug as a thankyou. I laughed and plugged my iPod into my ears, playing an old Steppenwolf song. I began to tap my fingers on the armrest along to the beat and began receiving some extremely funny looks when I began to air drum. Some odd mood had possessed me at that moment and I wanted to cause as much trouble as possible. Lauren began to laugh as I danced crazily in my seat. Sophia tapped me on the shoulder and I turned a little. She was holding up her iPod Touch and portable speakers, grinning like a mad man. In a second, I'd ripped out my own iPod and waited for the song to start. Lollipop by Mika began to play and I immediately unbuckled my seat belt, moving to the aisle and doing a little shuffle I'd invented when I was sixteen. Lauren joined and Sophia told Bradie to 'hold on to the speakers' as she began to dance. A majority of the passengers were looking on, amused while the minority was looking kind of pissed. Of course, the minority consisted of old people who were about 300 years old. Rianna seemed to be part of that snobby minority and sneered at us, clearly not appreciating our dorky moves. Once the song ended, we all began to move back to our seats when we struck a bit of turbulence. I stumbled, tripping and falling – somewhat coincidentally – into Andy's lap. He grinned down at me, arms catching me before I could fall onto the floor.

"Thanks," I laughed, smiling back up at him. Casper chuckled from behind me and I flipped him off, not wanting to ruin the 'moment'. Andy leaned down, his forehead resting against mine, lips getting closer as my heart rate sped up. He was so close now, just about to kiss me when: "Andy! I need your help!" Rianna's voice came from across the aisle. I sighed and closed my eyes, trying to drown the anger and frustration that wanted to swallow me whole.

"Go," I told Andy softly, sliding off his lap and onto my own seat. He touched his lips to my forehead before standing and wandering over to Rianna.

"You like him again?" Casper's voice sounded from next to me and I jumped a little.

"Uh…yeah. Why?" I asked. He stretched his legs out in the cramped little space and yawned.

"'Cause last time I checked you hated his guts." I thought for a moment.

"I guess we made up then," I said, shrugging. He made a 'hmm' noise and gazed out the window. Frowning a little, I put my iPod back into my ears and closed my eyes, humming the various songs that played. I was just about to fall asleep when I heard someone talking to me. I cracked open one eye and gazed up. Rianna stood in the aisle, an uncomfortable looking Andy behind her.

"Can I help you?" I asked, annoyed, as I took out one earpiece.

"Yes. Move."

"Fuck off."

"Move."

"I'm not moving." She crossed her arms and turned away, saying something to Sam who was behind her.

"Ashli, move," Sam ordered from behind Andy.

"I'm not moving just because she says I have to!" I exclaimed.

"You _will_ move because that is what she wants," Sam declared. I was shocked, mouth agape shamelessly, eyebrows disappearing into my hairline.

"What did you just say?"

"Move!"

"Not until you repeat to me what you just said!"

"I said; you will move because that's what she wants," Sam repeated.

"Did you listen to yourself?" I asked. "You sound _brainwashed_!" I laughed once at the absurdity of the idea.

"I'm not 'brainwashed'," Sam snapped. "Now move before I pull you off the tour."

"So _that's_ what this is about. Rianna wanting to be on the tour for a reason other than stealing guys from girls?" I said with fake enlightenment. "Well I want to sit next to Casper and Andy. Not you." There was a moment of silence and I shifted uncomfortably, suddenly aware of the stares we were receiving from other passengers. A stewardess approached us then, and cleared her throat politely.

"Excuse me," she said, "but I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to sit down. We are not permitted to have our passengers standing for too long."

"Okay. Ashli, move. Now." With a frustrated growl, I unbuckled my safety belt, climbed over the seats and shoved past Rianna, dropping down next to Sam. I plugged back in both my earpieces and bit my lip agitatedly. If I didn't know any better than I would think Sam was just trying to get closer to me.

As we strode through the airport, I heard screams of 'Short Stack!' and 'Hush Hush!' My stomach dropped. The last thing I wanted to deal with at that moment was over obsessed fans. We were bombarded by at least twenty people, thrusting cameras and paper in our direction. I plastered a fake smile to my lips, gladly scribbling out my signature and posing for photos. Once we finally escaped, Rianna seemed to be thinking for a moment.

"Hey!" she called. A majority of the fans turned. "I'm replacing Ashli for the rest of the tour. Tell your friends!" I could see the different emotions running over the horde's face.

"Why?"

"We want Ashli! Not you!"

"You're a bitch!"

"Since when?" All the abuse and questions flew at Rianna so fast I was amazed at the mere look of surprise and minute amount of hurt that passed over her face. Then I cracked up laughing. Nothing could compare to the sheer joy I was feeling. It showed that Hush Hush had true fans that wouldn't put up with the crap that Rianna made us put up with.

"I…I – uh – ALL OF YOU SHUT UP!" She screamed. I clapped my hands over my ears, trying to block out the strange ringing noise that had begun. The fans were silent, all either glaring at Rianna or looking slightly afraid. "I was not the one to come up with the idea! So don't start giving me shit for it when I haven't done anything wrong!"

"You were so the one who came up with the idea!" I shouted angrily, removing my hands. She attempted to look shocked but instead it seemed like she was trying not to get angry.

"How could you say that? You were the one who said you were sick of all your fans following you everywhere!"

"What?! Since when did I – "

"And you were the one who also said you couldn't handle the fact that all of Hush Hush's fans were 'sluts' and 'bitches'!" My mouth dropped open, almost hitting the floor.

"She never said that!" Lauren exclaimed, starting forward. Sophia grabbed her arm and sharply pulled her back.

"Let Ashli handle this," Sophia murmured.

"I never said that." My voice was low and almost dangerous, a warning twined in the words.

"Don't tell me that. Tell your fans." Rianna pointed to the group of now pissed and sad looking teens.

"I would never say that about you guys, okay? I love my fans more than my fans love the band I'm in. If that's even possible," I told the horde. They nodded, not looking entirely convinced, and turned around, walking back to wherever they appeared from. There was one girl left when I turned back. She looked about ten years old, wearing one of the Hush Hush shirts we created for the tour. I walked a little towards her, smiling a little. When I was a little way away, she looked up at me.

"I believe you," she said sincerely in her little voice, nodding. I laughed and smiled.

"Thankyou very much, sweetie. Is there anything you want me to sign for you?" I asked.

"Could I have a photo with you? All the other girls got in the way," she said, holding up a little digital camera.

"Of course." I took a couple of photos and signed a little poster for her when I noticed a lady walking towards us.

"Mum!" The girl called, waving the lady over.

"Thankyou so much," the mother said. "You've made her year."

"No problems at all," I told her, smiling. "It's good to know the younger generation are getting into music." She laughed.

"Ashli!" I turned to see Sophia beckoning me over. We were leaving.

"Well I have to go. Are you coming to the concert?" I asked the girl. She shook her head.

"I'm too young," she replied.

"Maybe next time when you're a little older," I laughed.

"Thankyou," the girl replied and hugged me. I smiled and returned the gesture. Once I said goodbye once more, I jogged back to everyone else. We went and collected our entire luggage and instruments before going outside and climbing into our rental van. Of course, I was in the front – again – and didn't exactly appreciate the fact that Casper was sitting on the floor in the middle row of seats. It took a lot of yelling and swearing to get Sam to comply with what we wanted.

The hotel we were supposed to be staying at was simply fifteen minutes away but it seemed so much longer. When we did finally arrive, I was incredibly happy to get out of the cramped car. I dragged my bags and bass into the lobby along with everyone else, waiting for Sam to come. It was then that I noticed something I should've seen a long time ago. Rianna had a suitcase. With her belongings in it.

"Hey Lauren," I said, aiming to sound nonchalant.

"Mmm?"

"Since when did Rianna have a suitcase?"

"Uh…since she first came. Didn't you notice that there was always an extra bag? Of course, that left less room for instruments," she grumbled. Well, that answered that question. So Rianna'd been planning on staying the whole time. What a deceptive cow. When we finally got to our floor, more complications arose. There were three bedrooms in the hotel room itself and Sam had gotten a single room for himself. Eight people and three rooms with a queen bed in each. Of course, none of us had a problem sleeping in a bed together…well maybe one or two of us, but there still wouldn't be enough room. And there were about a metre and a half long each. It was a good thing we were only staying there for two nights.

"I shotgun a room!" Shaun shouted, running off down a short hallway.

"You're not having one to yourself!" Lauren yelled after him, going off in pursuit after him. I sighed as the door shut behind her.

"We're going to have to sort something out," Bradie said brilliantly, rubbing a hand along his jaw.

"How about Shaun, Lauren and Rianna share a room and Andy, Ashli and Casper share a room. Bradie and I can have the couches," Sophia suggested. We all made slight noises of agreement – except for Rianna.

"How about me, Andy and Casper share a room and Shaun, Lauren and Ashli share the other. That should be fun." She shot a slimy smile towards Casper who just turned his head and blinked at me.

"Do _not_ even _attempt_ to hit on my friend, or I swear to the mother of all things holy I will kick your annoying little ass," I hissed, glaring at her. The smile slipped from her face and her lip curled up.

"You'd know all about hitting on, wouldn't you?" I just took in a deep breath and shut my eyes for a second. "Anyway, I'm staying with Andy and Casper whether you like it or not."

"Okay. I've had it up to here with you little princess shit! I have no idea what kind of deranged deal you and Sam have – "

"We have no deal!"

"Don't interrupt me!" I had a very large sense of déjà vu as soon as I said that. "I have no idea what deranged deal you and Sam have going on but I'm sick of it! For once you are not getting your fucking way. Got it?" She made her signature 'ugh' noise and rolled her eyes. How I ever put up with I would never know.

I jumped up and down on the balls of my feet, trying to get rid of the nervous energy and anger that pulsed through me. Rianna was standing with Andy, trying to tune up _my_ bass. Of course, we had no other bass guitars apart from mine, Andy's, and a spare one. But no. Rianna didn't want to use the spare. She wanted to use mine! To put it mildly, I was extremely pissed. When it was time to go on stage, I balled up my hands into fists and followed Sophia and Lauren on. There were cries of 'Hush Hush' from the audience, which promptly turned into a chant. They screamed as we waved and introduced ourselves. But then Rianna walked on, and the shouts died down. In fact, there was practically silence – something I thought I would never hear in the company of a hundred crazed teenage girls. Of course, Rianna chose to ignore the silence and sauntered up to the microphone, my bass swinging from around her neck. There was no way I would want to play that thing after the shows were over. Not after _she_ had contaminated it.

"Hi everyone, I'm Rianna – the new addition to Hush Hush," she said almost snob-like. I bit the insides of my cheeks hard, trying to stop myself from getting too angry. I'd been put at the keyboard, barely even having enough time to learn the chords I was to play. Sophie started the song and Lauren followed, looking not exactly energetic. Rianna began to sing and playing _my_ bass while I belatedly played the chords. It was then I realised something. No one was moving. No one was jumping with our music or screaming. It was like performing to a bunch of statues. I glanced over a Sophia and Lauren who both had confused looks on their faces. I gazed out into the audience. There was a group of people in the middle, shouting something simultaneously. Then the people around them began shouting the same thing, looking angry and determined. I could see Rianna looking a little pissed that no one was appreciating her singing – personally, if I was in the audience, I wouldn't be listening either. She wasn't exactly the best singer that ever walked the planet. Lauren and Sophie's playing got slower and less in time with each other as they tried to hear what the whole crowd was now chanting. When we did finally hear, I laughed out loud with elation.

"Ashli! Ashli! Ashli! Ashli!" It sounded like a rally, all the voices combining into one. I stopped playing altogether and wandered forward in awe. They were calling my name. They wanted me to perform, not Rianna. On a whim, I jumped down from the stage and landed in front of the barrier separating the crowd from the stage. The fans reached forward, still chanting, and I grasped their hands, laughing the whole time. There were even a few people I hugged. Eventually, all music stopped and I looked up to see Rianna looking furious. Then a drumbeat began – the introduction to We Will Rock You by Queen. I stamped my feet and clapped my hands, getting the crowd to do the same. In about two minutes, the whole room was filled with the world famous 'stomp, stomp, clap.' I climbed back on stage and continued the actions.

"Off you go," I told Rianna smugly, holding out my hand for my bass. She was breathing fast, angrily, not quite sure what to do. An evil light entered her eyes and she casually unslung my bass guitar from her neck. Before holding it out and dropping it off the stage.

* * *

**AN: **Just a quick note; anyone who likes this fic should read 'The Minority'. It's a Short Stack fanfiction and it's _very_ good. And comment the story telling them to update haha


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: **Hello again. Chapter fifteen (finally!) haha I'm not quite sure whose idea I've used for this chapter, so if you think I've used yours or even a little tinyyyy bit – even just along the same lines – then comment and tell me XD An-y-ways thanks to everyone who has reviewed and thanks to 'SenseOfPretend' for commenting so many times in a row haha

**Blood and Love – two totally different things, yet linked together so bizarrely. **

My mouth dropped open in horror. A smug smile spread across Rianna's face as she glared at me. The audience stopped, shouting abuse at Rianna when they'd received the murmur that rippled through the crowd. My gaze wandered over to the ground in front of the crowd barrier and I let out a strangled gasp of shock. The neck of my bass guitar was completely snapped in half, the strings still intact. My eyes wandered back up to Rianna's face.

"You broke my bass," I growled. "You bitch!" She still had that infuriating smug smile plastered to her lips and I wanted so badly to wipe it off. But I knew better than to do that in public.

"Sorry, I slipped," she said nonchalantly. I clenched my hands into fists. From the corner of my eye, I saw Lauren advancing towards me cautiously.

"Get off the stage. Now." I didn't trust myself to push my voice any louder than a hiss. With a little bout of laughter, Rianna tossed her hair and twitched offstage. After a second of regaining myself, I spoke into the microphone. "One second guys, I'll be right back." Jogging to the wings, I struggled to keep my emotions under wraps as I quickly tapped Andy on the shoulder. He turned around, grinning but looking confused.

"What happened with Rianna? She was supposed to be – "

"She broke my bass," I interrupted.

"She broke you bass? How?"

"Dropped it off the stage. The neck snapped."

"Ah…that sucks. I'm sorry – "

"Look, I don't mean to sound rude Andy, but I need to get back on stage really soon. And if it isn't too much to ask: would I please – please – be able to borrow your bass? I don't want to use the spare." He bit his lip, looking unsure.

"I understand if you say no," I told him. After another second, he sighed and beckoned me over to a black case. Opening it, he revealed his white bass guitar. I grinned as he pulled it out and handed it to me. I took it in one hand and hugged him with my free arm.

"Thankyou so much," I whispered, "you saved my ass." As I was about to pull away, I kissed his cheek gently. He grinned and winked before I heard Lauren talking to the audience through the speaker system. I jogged back on stage, grinning. Slinging Andy's bass around my neck, I shooed Lauren out of the way and cleared my throat.

"Okay, I want you to pick the song we are going to play now," I said. "So…shout out." There was a flurry of calls and shouts and I laughed.

"Alright, alright!" Lauren came and stood next to me. She pointed to a girl in the front row. "What do you want us to play?"

"Lost In Stereo by All Time Low," she replied.

"Well, good thing we know that song," I laughed into the mic. There were titters from the audience and Sophie counted us in. I held up a hand, signalling for her to stop. Hurriedly, I unclasped the chain from around my neck which held my very first guitar pick. Considering I didn't have any other plectrum to play with, that was my last option. I slid the red pick from the chain and then put it back round my neck (I'd gotten a little ring put through the top of the pick so I could put it on a necklace without having to damage it). I smiled at Sophie and she rolled her eyes light heartedly before launching straight in. I managed to put a heap more enthusiasm into my performing and I noticed Lauren and Sophia were much happier too. As we finished our fourth song, it was sadly time for Short Stack to take over. I said goodbye to our fans, lay Andy's bass against his amp and jumped off the stage, bending down to pick up my dead guitar. My heart twisted violently in my chest and I had to hold back a round of tears. My grandpa had bought it for me when I'd turned thirteen – just before he died. And now it was broken. It was the very last memory I had of him and now it was completely destroyed. But I knew I couldn't let myself cry in front of all these people. So I dredged up a smile from somewhere and ran up and down the barrier, high-fiving people who stuck out their. Eventually, I got back on stage and into the wings with my bass. I couldn't hold it in any longer. The tears flooded down my cheeks and sobs tore through my chest. Andy caught me up in a hug, whispering 'It's okay' over and over again as I cried into his chest.

"Andy, we gotta go," Shaun said softly. I pulled away, trying to smile.

"I'll be back soon," Andy told me. I nodded and watched as he trooped dutifully onstage, greeting the screams and fainting girls like it was an everyday occurrence. Sophia and Lauren were the next ones to comfort me. They pulled me to a sitting position against the wall, and just sat there, waiting until I was okay to talk. That's what I loved about them. They would just wait until I was ready to tell them what was wrong. And if I didn't want to tell them, they wouldn't pressure me at all. After five to ten minutes, my sobs – previously reduced to annoying little hiccups – turned into sniffles and I took a deep shaky breath. Rianna appeared from the dressing room then, sauntering up to us with an aggravating sway of her hips. Anger surged through me and I placed my bass aside, jumping to my feet and lunging for her. I slammed into her so hard that we both went flying into the wall, the breath knocked out of me temporarily. When I regained myself, I grabbed Rianna's arm and spun her round to face me. She was still wearing a smug smile, her eyes gloating.

"You broke my bass," I growled.

"I'm sure you'll get over it," she sneered back. I balled up my hand into a fist and brought it an inch away from her face. She flinched back, breaking my hold against her. She chuckled darkly and stepped forward. I matched her movements, keeping one eye on her hands and one eye on her face. Suddenly, she lunged forward, her fist hitting my stomach. I stumbled backwards and once I'd quickly stabilised myself, with my knuckles, punched her jawbone. She jolted backwards but then proceeded to hit my nose. I felt the bone shudder and a stream of hot liquid gush from it. Ignoring the blood, I grabbed at Rianna's arm, and scored one in her stomach. Then she neatly got out of my hold again and punched my mouth, tearing my lip. I cried out in pain and quickly yanked out my stud, which only seemed to cause more blood flow. Casper casually strode out the door, looking a little surprised when he saw Rianna and I standing across from each other, blood snaking across my mouth and nose. After a moment, he shrugged and went to sit down with Sophie and Lauren, who were watching us fight intently. About one second later, the boys returned for a quick break and emerged from the stage. They looked happy, until they saw Rianna and I. Of course, I looked worse; I had all the blood covering the lower half of my face.

"What happened?" Shaun asked worriedly.

"She snapped my bass," I growled, not taking my eyes off Rianna.

"She _what_? Do you know how much a guitar can cost to repair? Let alone buy?" Shaun asked, shocked. Rianna ignored his question and turned to me.

"You're just jealous that everything about me is better than you." I was baffled by her sudden change in topic.

"Sorry?"

"You're jealous that I'm better than you in every way. My life is better, I'm better looking, and I'm not fucked up like you. In every possible way, I'm better," she sneered.

"Well you won't be better looking for long," I threatened, stepping forward. Andy grabbed me from behind and gently towed me back.

"Don't," he said lowly. "She's not worth it. And you need to get cleaned up." I sighed, frustrated, and turned towards Andy. He winced when he properly caught sight of my face and I rolled my eyes.

"It's not that bad," I said.

"Whatever you say," he chuckled and led me to the bathroom inside our dressing room. When I saw myself in the mirror, I blanched. Blood snaked a trail from my nose to my lip, which was split from the left corner to my piercing, bubbling blood also.

"Ah, shit. There's another few weeks without my piercing," I sighed. He laughed.

"I have to get back on stage. I'll be back soon to see how you're going. Okay?" I nodded and he left, the door swinging behind. I set to work cleaning up my face. Once all the blood was gone, there wasn't really anything wrong. Apart from my lip, of course. I found a first aid kit under the sink and dug out a little patch. Everyone was so used to me having patches everywhere they probably wouldn't notice I had another one.

When I emerged, my eyes were closing in on themselves and I noticed for once how tired I was. The dressing room was empty and I was thankful for the tiny bit of silence. I pawed through my messenger bag until I found a book, before settling onto the couch. I got two pages in before my eyes closed and my body instantly shut down.

I could feel myself being carried when my senses slowly roused themselves. Then my hand knocked against a wall.

"Fuck," I whispered groggily. Andy chuckled and apologised. His voice cut in and out as I began to drift back to sleep.

I could feel myself being watched when I slowly woke up, so I kept my eyes closed in case. Eventually, I couldn't take the light that was practically burning through my eyelids. I cracked open one eye, then the other, siting up. Sam was sitting in a chair at the end of my bed.

"What – what are you doing here?!" I half shrieked. He looked up from his hands.

"Watching." My heart started to beat faster.

"Watching what?"

"Watching you."

"I – I don't need to be watched. So now you can leave," I stammered. He grinned darkly and stood up, slowly walking towards me.

"You don't really want me to leave, do you?" he asked quietly. I could tell from his eyes that he wasn't being exactly humorous.

"Yes, I do," I said firmly. Sam chuckled and stood next to the bed, gazing down at me hungrily. I held my breath and willed myself not to look scared as he reached out and grabbed my arm. He pulled me closer to him before using his other hand to –

I sat bolt upright, screaming as my eyes flew open. My body was trembling, tears trickling down my face, covered in cold sweat.

"Hey, hey!" Andy jumped up from the chair opposite me and kneeled in front of me. "What's wrong? What's the matter?" I cried soundlessly, my cheat heaving.

"Ashli?" Sam appeared next to me and I screamed again, scrambling off the couch and backing away against the wall.

"Stay away from me!" I shrieked. He looked confused, standing and taking a step towards me. Andy was in between us, looking at me with worry and confusion playing on his features. Sam took another step and I whimpered. "Stay away from me." This time it came out more of a whisper. He dared to take another step and closed me eyes, sobbing brokenly.

"Ashli…what's wrong?"

"Tell him…tell him to go away," I whispered, pointing a shaking finger at Sam.

"Why?"

"Just tell him!"

"Sam, maybe you should go," Andy said quietly, a huge contrast to my own voice. Looking baffled, Sam turned and left the living room. I relaxed considerably once he'd gone, falling back against the wall and sliding down to the ground. Andy was next to me in a second, sliding his arm under my shoulders and helping me to the couch. He lay me down with my head in his lap and wiped away my tears.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly. I shook my head, willing the immense pain that seared through me to dull. When I'd calmed my sobs to unsteady breathing, I sighed brokenly.

"I'm…I'm sorry," I whispered, gazing up at him. He chuckled quietly.

"For what?"

"I don't really know. I'm just sorry…" I smiled a little and touched my fingertips to his cheek. Andy covered my hand with his own and leaned down, just about to kiss me – again – when I pulled away. "My lip," I whispered, remembering when Rianna'd punched me.

"Right." He didn't look at all rejected. In fact, he looked kind of happy. For some reason I will never know. My eyes closed and I sighed again. I tried to stop the incredibly wrong and almost scary dream out of my head, but nothing exactly worked. Until I could hear Andy humming softly. In an instant, my eyes closed and unconsciousness pulled at me with its thick, confusing fingers, dragging me into sleep so fast I didn't even realise what was happening.

When I woke again that day, I noticed that Andy was gone and Casper was in his place. It surprised me that Andy would let my friend watch over me, considering he didn't even know him from the Queen of England. Casper grinned from above me.

"Nice nap?" I nodded and yawned. Then stopped dead. Above me? I blinked twice before sitting up so fast I would've thought it was inhumanly possible. "Woah!" Casper laughed.

"Since when were you here?"

"Since Andy was hungry and needed to text someone. But you were on his pocket so…"

"Right. So what have you been doing while I was sleeping?"

"Well, considering your head was on my lap, I couldn't really do much," he replied. Well that answers that question.

"I'm going to get changed. I smell really bad," I said and dragged myself up and into the room I shared with Casper and Andy (Rianna _finally_ didn't get what she wanted). Thankfully we had our own bathrooms within each bedroom, so I didn't have to march across the hall and back again if I wanted to take a shower. Once I stepped into the warm water, my muscles relaxed and I gave an audible sigh. As I washed my hair and rinsed off, I saw that there were three big red rings around the top of my arm. My heart stopped momentarily in my chest and I felt like I was about to faint. The rings looked like they'd been made by fingers. When I'd finally got out of the shower and changed into shorts and a t-shirt, I walked dazedly back into the living room. Casper looked away from the TV and grinned at me. But then his face fell when he saw my expression.

"What's wrong?"

"Casper…did…was I left alone last night? Like, was I ever sleeping with…no one else around?" He rubbed his hand along his jaw and wrinkled his nose.

"I don't think so. I wasn't here much," he replied, sounding a little confused.

"Okay…okay."

"Are you sure you're okay?" I nodded and went slowly into the kitchen.

"Where is everyone, by the way?" I asked, trying to sound calm and relatively collected.

"Oh, they went out for lunch or something." Once I'd grabbed a complementary Mars Bar from the mini-fridge, I returned to the couch and sat down next to Casper. He was watching The Shining; it was up to the famous 'Here's Johnny!' scene. I chewed mechanically on my Mars Bar, watching the movie slowly roll past.

"Why didn't you go with them? I would've been fine by myself." Without taking his eyes off the TV, Casper answered.

"I wasn't hungry. And after that little episode you had before, I didn't – I mean, _we_ didn't want to leave you alone." I started at his stumble and turned towards him, putting my chocolate on the table.

"You didn't want to leave me by myself."

"Yeah. Sophia and Lauren agreed – "

"Casper. I mean _you_ didn't want to leave me by myself," I interrupted. Casper licked his lips and cast a sidelong glance at me. He didn't say anything. Just performed those two simple actions, which meant so much more to me than words. "You care about me." It sounded absurd. Casper groaned and groped for an answer.

"Well, no – wait – yes. Okay, I care about you. But only because I know what you've been through and I understand how you feel about being alone."

"So you care about me because you and I are alike." He nodded, turning towards me.

"Ashli, I lived by myself since I was fifteen. I had no family or friends. In fact, the only people I could talk to were the Vandals. I practically lived with them for a majority of my teenage life," he told me sincerely.

"I'm sorry." He snorted and looked unimpressed.

"You didn't do anything. There's no need to be." Anger suddenly flared up inside of me.

"Then I apologise for having tact. Something you obviously _don't_ have," I commented.

"Tact? Tact barely exists any more," Casper pointed out.

"It doesn't matter. My point is that there is no need to get pissed at me for saying I was sorry." He looked remorseful and gave me a lopsided smile.

"Well now I'm sorry. Just sick of people saying they 'know what it's like' and how 'sorry' they are whenever I tell them," he said quietly. I nudged him with my shoulder and smiled back.

"It's okay. I understand completely…kinda." We both laughed and fell quiet. I looked up at Casper's content face, and leant my head on his shoulder. After a minute, I felt his fingers under my chin, delicately lifting it up to look at him. He leaned in, eyes shutting and his head tilting to the side. My simple reaction was to do the same; just keep my eyes closed. After a painstakingly long second, I felt Casper's lips press to mine, and I knew the familiar tingle that always flood through me would wash over my body again. And without fail, it came. Just before the door banged open and Lauren and Shaun walked in.

**AN: **By the way, I'm sorry if this chapter was boring D: I was totally stumped on words haha


	16. Chapter 16

**AN:** Hello again. I'm really sorry this was so late. BUT I am very happy because I have over 50 reviews. So thankyou to everyone that has reviewed (and read) this story. So, this chapter is dedicated, I guess, to CommeParMagie who sent me my 50th review. Thankyou.

**Scary and horrible noises can be the answer to many things. Like what your two friends are doing.**

Casper and I jumped apart, my cheeks burning. Shaun and Lauren were frozen in the doorway, jaws hitting the floor.

"Nice to see you two again," Casper said coolly. They didn't speak, just stood there, catching flies.

"Y'all can speak you know," I joked, throwing in a Texas accent.

"We…we came to see if you wanted to come to lunch," Lauren stammered, regaining her former self. Casper stood.

"Sure, I'll go get my shoes," he said, walking into one of the bedrooms.

"Andy's gonna be pissed when he finds out you're kissing some other guy," Shaun commented quietly, yet I could see the worry dampening his eyes. That came crashing down on me like a tonne of bricks.

"He…" I licked my lips. "He can't know. Please, don't tell him. I'll…talk to him soon." They both nodded rather doubtfully but let it go. Once I had my white Converse on, all four of us trooped out to the elevator. "I thought you would've eaten by now," I said.

"No. Bradie and Soph got caught up in this game store in this alley. Almost had to drag them out," Lauren sighed. Shaun chuckled and nodded at the memory. I laughed but fell silent due to extreme awkwardness. When we were out on the street, Shaun and Lauren led Casper and I to a little restaurant on a corner. We walked forward at sat at a table outside where everyone else was. Andy grinned at me when we approached and guilt settled heavily in my chest. I dredged up a smile and dropped next to him. Casper sat next to Sam across from me and Lauren and Shaun sat on the end. I noticed throughout the meal that they purposefully avoided all eye contact with me. The group hadn't ordered yet, and I was thankful that I could finally eat a proper meal. When the waitress came round, we ordered a jug of lemonade and our food. While we waited, Bradie and Sophia prattled on about the 'awesome' comic book store. It seemed like years until our meals came. I'd ordered a small size of mushroom and spinach pasta, which was surprisingly good. Unfortunately, Rianna was on Andy's other side and blatantly flirted with him, tossing her hair and laughing _very_ loudly. After about five minutes of Rianna's voice soaring over our own, Sophie stood, grabbed the untouched jug of lemonade, leant over the table and poured the whole thing over Rianna's head. An ear splitting scream filled the air and I shoved my hands over my ears – as did everybody else. I peeked around Andy and struggled to hold back hysterical laughter. Rianna looked like a drowned cat. Her wet hair fell over her face and her make-up was running. Her clothing was soaking and I noticed that Andy was shuffling towards me a little, attempting to get away from the slow spreading puddle of lemonade.

"You…you…bitch!!!" Rianna screamed.

"Sorry," Sophia said sarcastically. "I slipped." That sent me over the edge. Laughter shot out of my throat and I rocked back and forth on my chair, trying to suppress the tears that threatened to fall from my eyes. I continued on in this fashion for what seemed like hours, but then blatantly realised that everyone was staring at me oddly.

"I'm sorry!" I gasped. "It's just…her _face_!" I managed to squeeze out a few more words before cracking up again. Waitresses stared at me before hurrying off to get a towel. Other patrons outside eyed me warily before ushering their small children away. The waitresses arrived with a towel or two to clean Rianna up. Even though I was wiping tears from my eyes, I knew my laughter was out of spite and revenge rather than pure amusement.

"I need to go back to the room," Rianna said haughtily, standing up with her last shred of dignity. I bit my lip incredibly hard to stop myself from laughing again. Her skirt was glued to her skin, becoming almost as see through as her t-shirt. Unbelievably, Andy and Casper were gaping at her. I grabbed their chins and directed them forward, away from Rianna. There were audible noises of annoyance from the both of them and I clenched my jaw, stopping myself from getting angry – which took a lot of effort. Sam – rather reluctantly – got up and followed Rianna back, probably making sure she got to the room safely. It wouldn't've bothered me if she didn't.

When we finished our lunch, we realised that Sam wasn't back – which meant he probably wasn't coming back at all. So we all went for a walk which soon turned into a skip. Casper gave each one of us very odd looks, but I tugged on his hand, pulling him along with us. That was until Soph and Bradie found a comic book store and dragged us all inside. Needless to say, a comic book store is kind of boring to someone who is not exactly a fan of comic books. While the two of them wandered around through the endless racks of glossy covered and corny titled sheets of paper, Shaun, Lauren, Andy, Casper and I stood by the door, almost yawning with pure boredom. After a few minutes, we decided to ditch them; not exactly the nicest thing to do to your friends but when you're about to fall asleep, it seems to be the only option. We quietly slipped out the door, taking off down the street before Bradie and Soph could notice. We ran past many people, laughing hysterically when Shaun was bowled over by an extremely large man. Shaun – being distracted – had run straight into him, literally bouncing off his vast stomach. Then the man turned around and glared at us, causing ourselves to shove our hands over our mouths. When we finally stumbled out of there, sides splitting with unexpressed laughter, Shaun was not looking happy and Lauren was making him feel considerably better by the looks of it. We walked slowly now, 100% sure that Bradie and Sophie wouldn't know where we had gotten to. We walked passed a huge guitar and music store, the lights in Shaun and Lauren's practically burning with desire. Without another word, they darted into the shop. And then there were three. Awkwardness practically radiated off us, sending our mouths into silence. Fair to say, I was not comfortable.

"Where to?" Casper asked after a moment, shoving his hands into the pockets of his black zip up hoodie.

"I have no clue. Any ideas?" I looked up at Andy, grinning when he frowned in confusion.

"I have no ideas," he said slowly.

"Why don't we go to crown?" I asked, on a whim.

"Crown?"

"Yeah, you know. The casino place. But they have this awesome water feature. It's pretty cool." Casper and Andy shrugged, agreeing; yet not looking entirely convinced. "I'm sure you'll find something to do there." I found a map on a corner and carefully directed the way. Eventually, ten minutes later, we strode through the front entrance. I remembered when Lauren, Sophia and I would come here with Louise when we were around thirteen. A sudden dampness closed around my heart and I struggled to keep the conflicting emotions away.

"Are you okay?" Casper asked lowly, hand on my wrist. I forced a bright smile to my face.

"Yeah. I'm okay. Now let's go," I said hurriedly, dragging them over to the huge water feature. It was tucked into a corner below a staircase, which led to all the rooms above. The feature itself was fairly big, water tumbling off the little walls and cliffs. I stared up at it in awe. That was until I was grabbed from both sides and picked up. I was scared at first as to who it was, but then realised that Andy and Casper were collaborating against me. Casper reached down and grabbed my legs as I struggled, gripping me tightly. That was just before they dumped me on top of some stone…which 'coincidentally' (as they later put it) was part of the feature and had water running over it. That meant the whole back of my legs and butt was soaked. And it looked like I'd peed myself; not a good look when walking through a busy city. I gasped in horror and laughed once.

"You…" To put it short, I was lost for words. Carefully, I stood up and stepped onto a dry patch of marble. That made everything worse, for now my shoes were soaked. Both Casper and Andy were standing back, chuckling at their handiwork, which was probably good for them. If they were any closer, I wouldn't be the only one covered in water. I cautiously jumped off the edge of the feature and pretended to stumble. Andy jumped forward to catch me, arms closing around my own. I quickly swiped my free hand along the back of my leg and then reached up, wiping it across his cheek. He look momentarily stunned yet recovered quickly, a wicked gleam entering his eyes. He ducked down and grabbed me around my knees, hoisting me up onto his shoulder so I was hanging down his back from my waist up.

"Put me down!" I laughed.  
"Nuh-uh. Not until you've suffered," he replied from somewhere above me. I turned my head to the side to see Casper striding alongside us, looking amused.

"Help me," I pouted, tugging at his hand but instantly regretting the action for I fell even closer to the ground. Instead, I gripped Andy's belt (not the most ideal place) and pulled myself up a little. Casper chuckled and shook his head, whereas Andy didn't move at all. From the corners of my eyes, I could see us moving closer and closer to the food court, other people appearing more and more often. Then we stopped at a table.

"Excuse me," Andy said, not exactly quietly. "But we really need to find a bathroom. We had a little accident." He gestured to me on his shoulder.

"Yeah," Casper chided. "A 'little' accident."

"No!" I yelled. "They're lying! They put me in water!" Casper clapped a hand over my mouth and I shouted every curse word under the sun into it. Good thing his hand was there, actually.

"So, would you be able to give me directions?" The woman at the table mumbled something and Andy thanked her. Then he spun on his heel and marched off, me still flopped over his shoulder. "Excuse me!" Andy shouted towards the lady. "Was it left then right? Or right then left to the bathrooms?! This poor girl had an accident, remember?!" I screamed into Casper's hand, cussing so much a nun would've fainted. I assumed the lady gave him directions again for we set off, turning a corner. When we got close to the front doors, Andy set me down, grinning. All the blood rushed from my head and I struggled to keep myself upright. When I regained my balance, I remembered what'd just taken place.

"You idiot!" I shouted incredulously. "I cannot believe you just shouted that out in front of all those people!" Andy backed away, grabbing Casper's shoulder and pulling him along. "How could you _do_ that to me?!" In a second, Andy's face went from amused to horrified. I felt a hand come down on my shoulder and I reflexively hit it off. Before I saw who it was.

"Excuse me, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave. You are disturbing the other patrons," the big, burly, security guard said in a deep voice. I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever you say, _sir_," I said mock-sweetly, bowing before flipping him right off and bolting past the other two. They followed suit soon after and we made it out into the sunlight, feet thumping against the concrete as we navigated our way back to the hotel. When we finally reached our room, we were sweaty and fairly disgusting. As the three of us were let into the room, I immediately grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. I leant against the bench, gulping down half the bottle.

"FUCK!" The scream echoed through the room and I ran towards the voice. Lauren was standing in the doorway to one of the bedrooms, mouth agape, looking like she could vomit. I peered in over her shoulder. And had the exact same reaction.

"FUUUUCK!" I shouted, horrified. Shaun, Casper and Andy thundered up behind us. I blocked their view into the room.

"What's going on?" Shaun asked, hand on Lauren's shoulder.

"Nothing!" I yelled, surprised at how loud my voice was. To tell the truth, it was not 'nothing' at all. In fact, it was definitely _something_. And that something involved Bradie and Sophia and well…a bedroom. Plus _most _clothing – thank God for that.

"What's happening?" Rianna asked, sidling up beside Casper. I noticed that she was (unfortunately) dry again. She was the last person I wanted to find out.

"Nothing. Is. Happening," I said loudly, annunciating every word.

"Yeah, right." She narrowed her eyes at me and I rolled my own in response.

"Bradie! Sophie!" Shaun called, trying to see over my head. I grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back down. There were muffled noises from inside the room and I shoved everyone out the way, slamming the door closed. Everyone looked incredibly confused, muttering under their breath. Especially Rianna, who scoffed at me and narrowed her eyes again. "We deserve to know what is going on," she sneered. "Oh, they do," Lauren said, gesturing to everyone but her. "But you don't. So piss off." She snorted unattractively and flipped her hair annoyingly over one shoulder. "What-ever." I clenched my jaw and breathed deeply for a few seconds. Naturally, I hated anyone who made one word into two, especially when it was completely unnecessary.

"Okay," I said through my teeth. "Go away. _Now_." Sighing, everyone gradually dispersed so only Lauren and I were left. I slid down against the door and pulled Lauren with me.

"Now, dear, tell me what happened."

"I…I came here to see if" – I noted she could barely say their names – "Bradie and Sophie wanted to come watch a movie. And then I opened the door and…there they were…" her voice trailed off to a tiny whisper, so quiet I had to lean it to hear it, her eyes widening with the memory.

"Well, you go wash your eyes out. I'll stay here in case Rianna comes back," I told her, patting her shoulder consolingly. She nodded mechanically and stood up, wandering dazedly over to the bathroom. I leant my head back against the door, suddenly hearing some incredibly scary noises. My eyes widened in horror and I hurriedly pulled my iPod from my jacket pocket, shoving the earbuds into my ears before cranking up the volume very loud. At that moment I realised my shorts were still wet, damp, but not enough to make me cold. After a few seconds, another _very_ scary and loud noise came from the room behind me. Even with my music playing, I could still hear _them_. I whimpered and clapped my hands over my ears, brining my knees up to my chest and tucking my head into my chest. After thirty seconds or so, I felt someone tap my shoulder, taking out one earpiece. I looked up, my eyes training on Casper's.

"What's wrong?" he asked, confused.

"I've heard…horrible things," I said shakily, glancing around in exaggerated fear.

"What kinds of things?"

"Let's just leave it as horrible things, okay?" Casper nodded, grinning.

"Okay." Just as he said this, the door behind me opened inwards, sending me falling backwards onto the ground. I cracked open my eyes – which closed with the impact – and found myself staring up at a _very_ happy looking Sophie. I screamed once and got to my knees, scrambling over to the other side of the hall, pressing myself against the opposite wall.

"You disgust me!" I spat. She laughed and grinned, practically skipping over to me and grabbing my own hands in hers. I screamed again and pulled them sharply from her grip. "Get off me! I don't know what you've done with those hands!" She laughed again and grinned brightly at Casper who sank down next to me. As she flounced off down the hall, Bradie emerged from the same room, looking oddly sheepish.

"You make me sick!" I told him matter-of-factly, flicking my chin up at him. The red that flared up in his cheeks reminded me of a tomato. "And to think you've hugged me with those hands." He stuttered for a little bit before sighing and crouching down in front of me, grabbing my hands just like Sophie and pulled me to him in a hug.

"There, there," he crooned. I shouted and screamed, trying to squirm away from his contaminated hands.

"ANDY!" I yelled, laughing.

"WHAT?!" his voice came from the living room, sounding amused.

"HELP ME!" There was an audible sigh and Andy appeared in the mouth of the short hall. "He's touching me with his hands!" Bradie suddenly stood, scooping me up with him and walked over to Andy. He held me out from his body and practically dropped me into Andy's waiting arms. I instantly recoiled from Bradie as he let me go. His little boy laughter echoed after him, as he went off in search of Sophie, no doubt. I breathed a sigh of relief once he'd gone.

"What was he and Sophie doing in the bedroom?" Andy asked lightly, setting me down gently on the floor.

"They were doing…" _Each other_, I thought. "Nothing," I said instead. He nodded doubtfully and took my hand.

"We're gonna watch a movie. Come on." Andy led me back to the lounge room and settled on the couch, pulling me down next to him. _Ferris Bueller's Day Off _was playing on the Foxtel and I knew Sophie and Lauren (who had finished washing out her eyes) would be happy with it. Exhausted, I curled into Andy's side and lay my head on his shoulder. It was then that I remembered earlier on with Casper; how Shaun and Lauren'd seen what was happening. I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to stop the tears of confusion and frustration that had suddenly flared up behind my eyes. Nothing could ever be the same while Casper still thought I felt that way for him. And while Andy still thought Casper was only my friend.

* * *

**AN:** I want to thank Soph for providing me with an idea for this chapter. Thakyou haha


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: **Hello again. Hope you all like this new chapter. Thankyou to everyone who reviewed Chapter 16. I've gotten some awesome ideas for the coming chapters so stay tuned haha

Stuck in the middle with you – Stealers Wheel

It was close to the end of _Ferris Bueller's Day Off_ when Bradie left our room to go next door and ask Sam something. We were all about to watch another movie when the door flew open and a hysterical shouting Bradie burst into the room. He looked incredibly shaken; eyes wide with something that looked like fear. Bradie – clearly not watching where he was going – tripped over a chair and went sprawling to the floor. Sophie gasped and ran over to help him. She gradually got him to his feet and led him over to an armchair.

"I need an adult," he mumbled again and again, eyes still frantic.

"What happened?" Soph asked, sitting on the coffee table in front of him, hand on his cheek. His eyes met hers, his breathing erratic.

"S…s…s…"

"Sandwich?" Shaun supplied, looking confused. Bradie shook his head.

"S…s…s…"

"Second?" Lauren asked. He shook his head once more.

"S…s…s…"

"Sam!" I exclaimed. He nodded quickly.

"What did Sam do?" Sophie asked, looking slightly worried.

"He…he…" Bradie swallowed hard. "He…did…things." Andy frowned.

"What kinds of things?" Bradie looked up to meet my eyes.

"Like your dream," he said quietly. Bradie was the only person I'd told about my dream. The one with Sam; the one that had me waking up screaming. I blanched and I could feel all the blood drain from my face.

"He _what_?" I whispered shakily.

"You don't really want me to leave, do you?" he asked quietly. I could tell from his eyes that he wasn't being exactly humorous.

I flinched back from the vivid memory of the dream.

"He…did things."

"Yes, I do," I said firmly. Sam chuckled and stood next to the bed, gazing down at me hungrily.

I struggled to keep the pictures out of my head, attempting to form a wall between the memory and myself.

I held my breath and willed myself not to look scared as he reached out and grabbed my arm. He pulled me closer to him before using his other hand to –

I shook my head, clearing the thoughts away like smoke.

"Are you okay?" Andy asked me lowly, hand on my arm. I nodded and took a deep breath.

"Bradie, what happened?" Sophie asked, sounding a tad hysterical.

"Ashli, come here," Bradie said quietly. I obeyed, walking to his side mechanically. He beckoned for me to bend down and I did so. His mouth moved to my ear and his breath washed over my cheek as he spoke.

"Sam…he…touc – "

"Yes, I know," I interrupted, cringing at the thought of the word. "But…where?"

"My…leg." I pulled back, confused.

"Bradie," I whispered, moving back in. "It was just your leg. It could've been an accident." This time Bradie pulled back, shaking his head at me. I pulled him back to me. "How do you know then?"

"Because he was…" Bradie made a rubbing motion on his arm. I swear I nearly threw up. I gagged and backed away, gaping at him.

"Are you fucking joking?" I choked out. Everyone was staring at either Bradie or me, trying to figure out what happened. He shook his head solemnly. "Oh god…that is gross." I closed my eyes and leant against the wall. Lauren came over and shook me, hard.

"What's wrong? What happened?" I tossed my head from side to side rapidly.

"I can't believe…he would…EW," I stammered. Just then, the door opened and Sam strolled in. Bradie paled considerably and looked towards me for help. I mouthed 'it's okay' and tried to keep my emotions under wraps. Horror was coursing through me, turning every single idea I had of Sam to pure poison.

"We are leaving in ten minutes," Sam said, acting like everything was normal and okay. Which it wasn't. In fact, it was the complete opposite. When no one responded, Shaun piped up.

"Oh, yeah! Gee I didn't notice the time! God, time flies when you're having fun, doesn't it? I can't believe it's so late in the afternoon. Honestly, I never thought that it was 5:30. It just never occurred to me that it could be so – "

"SHUT UP SHAUN!" I shouted. He had a very bad habit of prattling on about nothing when something got awkward or no one spoke. But of course, once Shaun was quiet, it was back to awkward silence.

"Everything okay?" Sam asked, looking towards Bradie. I saw Bradie's eyes go frantic and afraid.

"Y…Yeah – it…it is…" he stuttered, licking his lips a lot.

"So long as everything's okay," Sam said, a double meaning behind his words. With that, he walked out and went back to his own room. Bradie slumped in the seat and breathed a sigh of relief. He looked honestly afraid. Like he'd never seen something so terrifying in his life. In this case, he probably hadn't.

While we were backstage, waiting for our cue to go on, I saw Sam emerge from the shadows.

"Ashli," he said stonily. I turned from Andy and rose my eyebrows. "Come here." I smiled at Andy and held up a finger, walking towards Sam. He led me round a corner and into another hallway where it was pretty dark and dingy. I began to feel very wary.

"What's up?" I aimed for sounding nonchalant but my voice came out strained.

"I think you know."

"Sam, I don't know. Look, I'm going to be on really soon and I need to go back to the others. We can talk later." Where it's light. I added mentally.

"No," Sam barked when I turned to leave, grabbing my arm. "We talk now."

"Then talk," I snarled, starting to get annoyed.

"You know."

"About what?"

"Bradie." My heart sped up in my chest.

"You're disgusting," I hissed. "What the fuck were you thinking when you did that?" He laughed once, a cruel sound that scraped my ears.

"What are you going to do to stop me? You're eighteen. Just as weak as Bradie." This was definitely a side of Sam that I didn't think anyone'd seen before. He began to move towards me, forcing me to press myself against the wall. His hands came up and rest against the brickwork on either side of my shoulders. He leant in, his breath washing over my face. Instead of being afraid, I was angry. One of Sam's hands travelled down the wall to the same height as my waist. Just before he could do any more, I heard someone approach. I looked up and saw that Casper was standing about three metres away, looking like he could kill someone. That someone probably being Sam.

"Get the fuck away from her," he growled. When Sam didn't move, I shoved him backward with full force. He stumbled backwards and caught himself just before he was about to fall. Casper strode towards me, took my hand and began to lead me back to everyone else. We stayed facing Sam and you would think that Casper wasn't worried about the fact Sam was two times older than him and could probably overpower him with no trouble. I didn't realise I was crying until we came back to the wings. Casper pulled me into a hug and I tucked my head into his chest. Andy's voice sounded close by and I pulled from Casper, reaching out for him. Andy took my hands and wrapped his arms around me, kissing the top of my head.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly into my ear.

"Sam…he…" I couldn't even finish my sentence.

"Hush Hush! Let's go!" One of the stage crew called. I shakily stepped back from Andy and pecked his lips quickly before grabbing my bass and trooping on stage behind Soph and Lauren. Hurriedly, I wiped all the tears from my cheeks before we went onto the stage. We went through the set list; I sang and played the spare bass as well as I could with so many things on my mind. Sam being the dominant thought. When we finished, we said goodbye to the audience and went back off stage. I couldn't forget what happened between Sam and I. It was like a movie, replaying itself again and again behind my eyes. Instead of staying in the wings to watch the boys perform, I went straight back to the dressing room where Casper and Rianna were. I was happy to see that they were sitting on the opposite sides of the room, Rianna texting, Casper reading one of my books. I sat next to him on the couch and nudged him with my shoulder.

"Where did you get this from?" I asked, tapping the cover of the book. He looked up and grinned just as Rianna sauntered out the door. Good riddance.

"From your bag."

"So you looked through my bag? Wow, how polite of you," I laughed.

"You know I'm not polite," Casper pointed out.

"I know, I know." He grinned again and ruffled my hair affectionately. I scowled at him and then frowned for real. A pink line was poking out the side of Casper's long fringe. The fringe covered one eye and it had only just occurred to me that maybe he was hiding something. Gently, I reached up and brushed his fringe to the side of his face. And bit my lip in sympathy. A thick scar framed Casper's the right side of his face, starting above his eyebrow and finishing at the height of his mouth. It was light pink with age and pinched around the edges, twisted grotesquely, marring the high set of his cheekbones.

"What happened?" I whispered, still holding his fringe up, the electric blue streak standing out vividly against the darkness of his hair and the sudden paleness of his skin.

"It's nothing," he replied softly.

"Don't lie to me, please. Tell me," I begged. A sigh escaped his lips in a big gust and I waited agitatedly for his answer.

"My dad," he said simply.

"You're…you're dad did this to you?" He nodded solemnly.

"That's why I left home. He's the reason I'm like this," Casper said, distaste clear in his tone. He gave a short bout of humourless laughter before he stared me right in the eyes.

"Why…How did he do this?" I asked, trying to sound bold but instead sounding more like a mouse. Casper took a deep breath and closed his eyes before beginning.

"My dad was an alcoholic. Every night he would go to the bar with his 'mates'. He was one of those people who, when they got drunk, were more angry than happy. And he came home drunk six out of seven nights a week. He would always yell at my mum, sometimes hit her too. My little brother and I would just lie there listening to him yelling and screaming," he explained quietly. I was lost for words as he fell silent.

"But how did you get…this?" I reached out with my other hand and trailed a finger delicately down the scar. He sighed and pulled back gently, his fringe flopping back over his eye, seeming like there was nothing it was hiding.

"He did it with a rock." My blood ran cold.

"A…rock?" My voice had taken on a childish tone and I hurriedly cleared it away. Casper closed his eyes, suddenly looking very young and tired.

"I tried to get him to stop yelling and he just grabbed a rock and dragged it down my face…" I winced instinctively; the image of that happening made me feel sick.

"But…he was your dad," I whispered.

"He was an idiot," Casper spat. I shrunk backwards at his sudden change in emotions. He took a deep, shaky breath, before closing his eyes. "So, with my face pouring blood, I packed as much as I could, wrote a note and snuck out my window. That was the last time I ever saw them."

"I know you're probably going to hate me for saying this, but – "

"You're sorry. I know," he interrupted, smiling the tiniest bit.

"So then you met The Vandals and stayed with them, right?" I asked. He nodded. "And then after that you found my Zia's house and stayed there?" He nodded again. "And then you met me." I noted a slight change in the air around us, a charge of energy floating around my head.

"And then I met you." His words, barely above a whisper, surged through me as he shifted closer.

"Was that a good or bad thing?" I asked in an undertone.

"Good," he murmured. "Definitely good." Casper cupped a hand around the back of my neck and with his other hand, guided my arms to his neck where I looped them gently. Just as his lips touched mine, the door opened and I froze instinctively. Through the mirror facing us from the opposite side of the room, I saw Shaun and Lauren standing in the doorway.

"Aw, fuck!" Shaun whined. "You've gotta stop doing this!" I timidly disentangled myself from Casper's hold and stood up.

"Look," I said heavily. "I'm trying to sort this out, okay? Just…" My eyes closed with guilt.

"Don't tell Andy," Lauren finished. Disappointment and faint disgust coloured her tone vividly. "He's our friend too if you hadn't noticed."

"I know," I protested. "Just give me time. Please."

"You know, you never were like this," Lauren whispered, hurt. "You've done this to her." She turned to Casper with anger burning in her eyes.

"Don't blame Casper!" I said hotly, stepping forward.

"Then take a look at yourself!" She shouted. "What the fuck has happened to you?! You're not you anymore! You're…a slut!" I staggered back at the daggers and obvious truth in her words. There was a painful silence and all that could be heard was Lauren's fast breathing. I closed my eyes and licked my lips.

"I told you I would work it out," I snarled.

"Fine. But if you caused such a huge fuss over Rianna liking Andy then I think you better do what's right." When I heard the door bang against its hinges, I knew they were gone. Opening my eyes, I breathed a sigh of relief.

"What are you going to tell him?" Casper's voice came from behind me and guilt tightened its grip on my body.

"I…I think it would be better if you don't stay with Andy and I tonight. He and I need to sort this out…alone." Without waiting to see what he had to say, I darted out into the hallway. It was odd then. I felt no remorse; or other emotion for that matter. It was like I'd been stripped of anything that could classify as a feeling. All I could feel was a sense that what I was doing was right. And I knew that's all I needed.

When we finally got to our hotel room, I was just about ready to drop. We'd had to stay extra late at the venue because of some fans who'd won a competition and couldn't leave till around twelve or twelve thirty. As I changed into my tracksuit pants and singlet, Andy appeared in the door. I grinned tiredly as he walked in with a case.

"Hey," I greeted, sitting on the edge of the bed; my legs couldn't hold me up any longer.

"I've got something here you want," he said, laying the case down next to me.

"What is it?" I asked suspiciously.

"Just open it!" Andy exclaimed mock-exasperatedly. Laughing, I zipped open the case to reveal my bass guitar, as good as new.

"How…W-what…you fixed it." My eyes were tearing up as I stuttered and I tried desperately to hold them back. For once my emotions were on my side as I stood and hugged Andy. "Thankyou," I told him, pulling back and looking him in the eyes.

"No worries," he whispered, smiling softly.

"I'm not going to ask how you did it, okay?"

"That would be good."

"Good." I hugged him again before leaving the room so he could change. Casper confronted me as I stood outside the door.

"I'm sleeping on the couch, aren't I?" He asked.

"Yes. Unless you want to share with Sam," I replied stonily.

"I'll take the couch." The door opened and I went in, shutting it behind me and turning off the light. Carefully, I made my way to the bed where I clambered onto the edge.

"Come here," Andy chuckled, reaching for me. I crawled to him and lay my head on his chest, loving how his arms fit perfectly around my waist. I wound my arms around his neck and stretched up, struggling to find his lips in the dark. When I did though, it was worth it. I could finally relax and in a matter of seconds, was asleep.


	18. Chapter 18

**AN: **Hello again everyone. Here is chapter 18! I have finally used Emxxx's idea in this chapter and I'm very happy as to the way it turned out. But I did change it a tiny bit… : )

**To the shock of Miss Louise**

As I slowly woke up, I noticed that I was still in the same position I was in when I fell asleep; head on Andy's chest, hands laying limp on his stomach. His arms were twined loosely around my waist still, his mouth hanging open. A small snore escaped his throat and I giggled drowsily, gazing up at him. His eyes flinched and I knew I had to be careful as to not wake him up. Gently, I snagged a pillow from behind me, untangled Andy's arms and replaced them around the pillow, sliding off the bed. Grinning at my handiwork, I leaned down and planted a kiss on his cheek before opening the door and slipping out. Everything was quiet and I could see Casper hanging off the couch, cramped up. Guilt ran through my veins but I kept moving, grabbing a stray twenty-dollar note from the kitchen table and my Ray Ban sunnies. Ignoring the fact that I was still in my 'pyjamas', I crept out the door. As I got out onto the street in the late morning light, I began to receive very odd stares from some people. So my trackies were ripped and torn and held together with bobby pins, my singlet top was probably inside out, my hair looked like I'd just crawled out of a hedge, my make-up made me look like a panda and my socks were odd and dirty and I wasn't wearing shoes; that gave no one a right to stare. So I kept walking past all the businessmen and woman in their pristine suits and neat hair, head held high and Ray Bans shielding my eyes. I finally made it down to a small café where I waltzed in, ignoring the fact that it was probably one of the cleanest looking places in Melbourne and that I probably looked like a hobo. As I approached the counter, a girl around sixteen years old was staring at me from her table. Her skirt was high, her top was low and her make up was so thick it was almost like a very bad paint job. I made a biting motion towards her abruptly, making her jump. I chuckled and grinned at the girl manning the register.

"Hey, can I have eight" – I stopped for a moment, considering Rianna before thinking that I didn't need more of a reason for her to hate me – "Wait, make that nine toasted ham and cheese sandwiches," I told the girl – whose name was Zoe – and held out my twenty. She took it and gave me a two-dollar coin as my change. I rose my eyebrows at it dubiously and looked down my sunnies at her. "Is it really that much?" Zoe laughed.

"Sorry, but yes it is. The people you're buying for are gonna have to pay you back," she replied, smiling. I nodded and laughed as she walked to get the food. She returned a minute or two later with a large paper bag and grinned at me.

"Thanks," I told her before marching past the sixteen-year-old slut and out into the street again.

It took me about five minutes to walk back to the hotel and I was grateful when I finally arrived at the door. When I walked in, Shaun was ranting on about some twenty-dollar note he left on the table and now it was gone. Oops.

"Have you seen my money?" he asked me loudly. I opened and closed my mouth.

"Uh…no. In fact, I think I saw Rianna with a twenty in her pocket before. Check with her," I replied, grinning devilishly. He nodded once and went off in search of the 'thief'. Lauren, Sophie, Bradie, Casper and Andy were piled into the living area, watching a re-run of Family Guy. "Food anyone?" I held up the paper bag and dropped it down onto the coffee table. They dived at it like a flock of seagulls, reminding me strangely of a 'LCM' add. "Thankyou?"

"Thankyou."

"Thanks."

"I love you."

"Yep."

"Mmm…" Considering they all had their mouths stuffed with food, it was hard to tell who was who. Yet I could distinguish one particular voice. Andy sat in the corner of the couch, munching happily on his toasted ham and cheese. I leant over the back of him just after he took a bite and bit off one corner, pulling back and laughing. He gaped at me in horror, swallowed then lay his sandwich on the paper bag. He stood slowly and began to run for me, his eyes lighting up with an unspoken evil. I squealed and ducked out of the way, running in front of the TV.

"OUT THE WAY!" Lauren cried, mouth crammed with what I saw was my sandwich. Running down the hall, I realised that I had no where to go…except for the very end. So there I was, pressed back against a wall with no where to go. Oh, fun. Andy was grinning now, almost in front of me. When he was less than a metre away, his hands fell gently onto my hips, his forehead leaning against mine. I closed my eyes and breathed slowly, my arms twining loosely around his neck. After a short second, I felt a slight pressure to my lips and a sudden warmth spread through my body. I smiled against Andy's lips and laughed when he trailed his fingers lightly down my back, sending a tingling sensation through my veins.

"Oh! Oh cool!" Someone exclaimed in disgust. Pulling away and breaking the kiss, I was surprised to notice that Andy pulled me back into him, ignoring the fact that someone was watching us. "That is disgusting!" The person – who I recognised as Sophie – cried. I flipped her off promptly and shooed her away using my free hand that wasn't draped over Andy's neck. There was an 'ugh' noise and silence ensued her departure. After a moment, there was a cry from the lounge room, followed by a loud crash. This time, Andy pulled back, glancing back towards the mouth of the hall before turning back to me and grinning.

"Nice work," he chuckled, leaning down and planting a kiss on the end of my nose. I grinned and tapped a finger on his lips before pointing to myself just over my heart. "Always," he whispered, nodding with understanding.

"Good." My voice was soft and quiet as I smiled up at him. Another cry came from the lounge and the moment ended like a light turning off, abrupt and annoying. We started towards the main area, silence shrouding us like a thick, yet not uncomfortable, blanket. Once we reached the living room, I saw so many things at once. Sophie was lying on the floor, either laughing or crying from what I gathered; Shaun was standing behind the couch, looking afraid. Lauren and Rianna stood in front of the TV; Lauren looking like she could kill someone and Rianna looking shocked and peeved. Bradie was no where to be found. Until I saw he and Casper in the kitchen, eating what looked like their toasted sandwiches. Still.

"What happened?" I asked lightly, stepping over what looked like a broken vase. "Lauren?" Her head turned towards me, rage burning in her eyes like fiery embers. Hands closed into tight fists at her sides, I saw a sliver of blood on one knuckle.

"Shaun, what is going on?" Andy asked, shaking his friend's shoulder gently.

"Lauren…threw a vase at Rianna," Shaun replied, shocked. Laughter bubbled up through my throat and I staggered towards Sophie on the floor, bursting into a fit of hysterics so intense there was no sound. After a moment, loud guffaws erupted from Sophie's mouth, matching mine so precisely.

"What's going on in there?!" Bradie called from the kitchen.

"Ashli and Sophie," Andy replied, gazing down at us with worry and doubt.

"What are they doing?"

"Rofl-ing."

"Oh. Right." The laughter didn't subside for at least a minute or two, and when it finally did, we were both wiping tears from our eyes.

"So…the crash we heard was the vase?" I giggled, still lying on the floor, hands over my aching ribs.

"I guess so," Shaun replied, shrugging.

"Sadly it didn't hit her right between the fucking eyes," Lauren growled through her clenched teeth.

"Now, now dear," I soothed like an old lady. "There must've been a rational way to solve this without damaging hotel property."

"No, there wasn't," she replied, hostile.

"Well now you're going to have to pay for that vase," Casper piped up.

"She was hitting on Shaun."

"And honestly, hotel vases are very pricey to replace."

"Casper!" I shouted. He snapped his mouth shut and looked at me innocently. "Please be quiet." He nodded once before flopping down onto the couch next to Andy and Bradie.

"Come here," I ordered Rianna, jabbing a finger at the floor in front of me. She pursed her lips before twitching over to me. She reminded me vaguely of the teenager in the café this morning. Only Rianna's skirt was shorter and her top was lower. Which reminded me of the fact that I was still in my pyjamas. It amazed me how little details like what I was wearing could slip my mind so easily. "Tell me," I mused, tapping a finger on my chin. "Are you purposefully a bitch or do you just feel like you have to be? Because of all the time I've known you, you've never been so much of a…cow." Sophie 'mooed' from the floor like a drunkard and cracked up again. We all paused to watch her roll with laughter before ignoring her completely.

"Someone hit the Jim Beam a little early," Andy commented, watching intently as Bradie bent over Sophie, pulling her up to a standing position and hauling her off to their bedroom. It was all a little suspicious to me. When Bradie returned a second later, he looked a little shocked.

"I don't think I've seen anyone drunk at midday," he muttered. "Oh, except for you Andy." Andy grinned like a little boy and seemed to be reminiscing at his achievement.

"So, let me get this straight. Soph is _drunk_? How?" I asked, turning to face Bradie.

"She was curious," he replied somewhat doubtfully.

"About?"

"About how early she could be drunk."

"Okay…I guess." I spun to face Rianna again. "Answer my question." She thought for a moment before cocking her head and narrowing her eyes at me.

"Tell me. Are you purposefully cheating on Andy or is Casper too much temptation? Because all the time I've known you, you've never been so much of a whore." My heart beat rapidly in my chest, blood running cold. My mouth dropped open in horror as Rianna smirked at me smugly.

"What?" The sheer confusion in Andy's voice made me bite my lip in pain.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, eyes closed, trying to will away my tears. If I thought I'd heard silence before, I was wrong. There was no noise whatsoever as I waited for someone to speak; a pin dropping to the floor could've been heard easily.

"I warned you," Lauren said softly, her voice cutting through the tension like a knife.

"You _knew_?" Now Andy sounded pissed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know what to do," Lauren replied just as softly as before. There was a creak as the weight on the couch lessened and a slam as the door hit its hinges. The black void I was so familiar with before opened up once again, causing me to fall to my knees, tears running freely down my cheeks.

"Go after him." I looked up to see Bradie standing over me, looking angry but brotherly.

"He won't want to see me," I whispered, gazing at my hands helplessly.

"Jus go!" I heard a cry from behind me and I turned my head to see Sophie stumbling out from her room. She stopped when she realised everyone was staring at her. "What're y'all look'n at?" She asked, speech slurring comically.

"Soph, go back to bed," I advised her.

"Mmmmkay." She blinked twice before turning around and marching like a soldier back towards her room. Just as she reached her door, she stumbled and hit her head on the doorframe. "OUCH!" She cried before bursting into a cackling fit.

"Someone hit the Jim Beam _very hard_," Lauren whistled. Bradie was over to the drunken girl in a flash, guiding her into the room by her waist. And that was the last we saw of Bradie for at least half an hour. I prayed he was okay.

"Go talk to him," Casper told me quietly, staring at me solemnly.

"Okay," I replied, wiping the tears from my cheeks.

"And while you're there, make sure you – "

"Shut the fuck up!" I shouted at Rianna, cutting her off. She pursed her lips before glaring at me and stalking off. I took in a deep breath, contemplating where Andy would be before the door opened and Andy himself walked in. Before I could speak or grovel for forgiveness, he stepped past me and went into the kitchen.

"Get Rianna. I want to talk to both of you," he called over his shoulder. Okay, so he wasn't pissed at me enough to ignore me completely.

"Rianna! Get your skinny ass out here now!" I shouted. Sure enough, she appeared in front of me. Without being told, she marched on to the table where Andy was sitting and made herself comfortable. "Guys, you might wanna go," I told the rest of the group. They nodded, collectively saying something about Pie Face and their stomachs. They managed to prod Sophie and Bradie out the door too. On their way out, Casper smiled reassuringly at me and I returned the gesture with a tiny grin. I spun on my heel and sat at the table across from Andy and Rianna.

"I want to know why you hate each other," Andy ordered.

"Louise," I replied flatly. His eyes softened for a moment and I knew he'd remembered what I'd told him so long ago.

"What happened with Louise? I need to know, now."

"I'm not telling you," I spat.

"I'll tell you," Rianna piped up.

"No you won't!"

"Okay, so we were all at this girl's birthday party and then the three cows here decided it would be fun to trip poor Louise over into the pool who was on drugs, of course. Sadly, she drowned." Rianna's heartless version didn't quite match up.

"That's what happened? How could you – "

"Wait a second. That's not what happened. The police told us she tripped," I interrupted. That exact moment, I saw her face fall into shock. "They told us she tripped over my foot and hit her head on the edge of the pool. We didn't trip her purposefully and everyone else who was there saw her fall." There was a string of silence as Rianna's mouth opened and closed a number of times. "Explain to me," I said, dangerously calm and quiet, "how you came to the conclusion that we tripped her." More silence. "Because I'm curious. _Very_ curious."

"I…you…we didn't – "

"Just answer me!"

"Who do you believe? Your best friend for nearly your whole life?! Or some fucking policemen who knew nothing about the party?!"

"You're nothing more to me than an enemy right now. So either I believe the policeman or assume that…you were the one who tripped her." When she didn't deny it, I knew something was wrong. "Answer me." My voice was beginning to shake as unrestrained sorrow and fear bubbled to the surface. She still didn't answer. I shook my head repeatedly, shoving away from the table and stumbling to my feet.

"Where are you going?" Andy asked, glaring at me. I kept shaking my head slowly, finding my lungs constricting and tears stinging my eyes. No. This couldn't've happened. There was no way what she was telling me was true.

"What did you do?!" I screamed suddenly, spinning round and facing them again, features contorted with anguish. Rianna was dead silent; not a peep coming from her. The only thing that gave away her being alive was the steady rise and fall of her chest. "Tell me what you did," I sobbed, pleading the smallest bit. Rianna lifted her head and for the first time in so long, I saw her crying.

"I didn't mean it. I didn't mean to do it…" She whispered, tone full of grief. I staggered backwards, collapsing against the wall, sobbing brokenly. Andy looked on with horror and slight concern as it finally dawned on me for real what Rianna had done.

"You killed her. You killed her!" I howled, trying to keep myself upright in fear I would pitch to my knees. Andy picked his way over to me, reaching for me. I reeled away from him, skirting around the couch before backing against the opposite wall. "Stay away from me!" I shrieked. "This is your fault! This is all your fault!" The door banged open and Sophie and Lauren stood in the hallway.

"What's going on?!" Sophie demanded, probably hearing my cries.

"What that fuck have you done to her?!" Lauren exclaimed, looking in horror towards me as I sobbed steadily, tears staining my cheeks. She beckoned for me and I almost ran to her, happy that she immediately wrapped me in a hug.

"You dickhead!" Sophie cried, running towards Andy and hitting his nose. He staggered backwards.

"Sophia!" Bradie exclaimed, squeezing past Lauren and me and grabbing her around her middle.

"Hello handsome," Soph greeted once she realised Bradie was there. "Woah…your hair is HUGE!" She poked the ends of Bradie's hair with her fingertips and her jaw dropped open.

"Okay, out we go," Bradie muttered, steering her out the door past us.

'His hair if huge!' she mouthed to us as she passed. She was obviously still drunk.

"What did you do?" Lauren asked fiercely, turning back to Andy, who had a snake of blood running from his nose.

"I didn't do anything!" He exclaimed, snatching a wad of tissues from a box and plastering them to his face.

"Then why is she like this?" I sobbed brokenly and gazed at Andy expectantly.

"We were talking about…Louise."

"You were what?! You dickhead!" Lauren yelled, her arms tightening around me.

"It's n-not th-that," I stammered, almost incoherent.

"Then what is it?" Lauren spoke softly to me, stepping back to look at me properly.

"R-r-rianna…k-killed – L-l-ouise," I sobbed, a fresh round of tears washing down my cheeks.

"She what."

"I'm-I'm sorry," Rianna whispered from the table, shaking her head.

"You…you?" Lauren asked in sheer disbelief. Rianna nodded solemnly. "Y-y…wh…th…can…this isn't…oh my fucking god." I noted that she could barely squeeze more than one syllable out of her lips before she sank to her knees, shoulders shaking. I dropped in front of her, pulling her into my arms. She clutched at me for what seemed like dear life, crying loudly and somewhat hysterically. We sat like that for what seemed like hours. After that, I could cry no more. All my tears had dried up completely and all I could do was sit alone in the corner, staring blankly at the floor.

As I was doing just this an hour or two later, Shaun came and sat in front of me, holding out half a sandwich. I shook my head dazedly, ignoring the fact that my stomach seemed as hollow as a large Easter egg. The thought of food was so unappealing that it made me feel sick just thinking about eating. Especially after what I'd found out; I owed it to Louise to respect her memory.

"Lauren and Sophie are asking for you. Please can you go to them? They're worried about you," Shaun told me, hand on my shoulder. I shook my head again and took a deep shaky breath. "Okay, well tell me if you need anything." He leaned in, kissing my forehead before standing back up and walking off to talk with Sam, Casper and Bradie. Andy stood off to the side, watching me intently. I met his gaze blankly, making sure no emotion registered on my face. After a beat, he looked away somewhat guiltily.

We were supposed to be flying up to Brisbane for another two shows at ten o'clock p.m. but it seemed to take forever to leave the hotel. Firstly, there was the matter of Sophie – who had been sleeping since around one in the afternoon that day – had a considerably large hangover and hated the idea of noise. After piling everything into the van, we began our slow drive to the airport. The streetlights cast an eerie glow over the road and I was so disconcerted that I closed my eyes, playing 10 Miles Wide by Escape the Fate. When we arrived at the airport, we went through all the same processed as we'd done many a time before. Present tickets, baggage queue, hand luggage checking station etc etc. So when we finally got to sit down at the waiting room, it was around 11 p.m. Great. I could already feel my eyes closing with exhaustion as I squeezed them shut. When I opened them again, I struggled to adjust to the bright, fake, fluorescent lights of the airport.

"I'm going for a walk," I croaked, vaulting off my chair and snatching up my messenger bag, walking quickly off to a dark area of the airport. No one was around apart from the odd tourist returning from or about to board a plane. The area I was in wasn't too far from the waiting room and I knew I had forty minutes before we were going to board the plane. I had plenty of time. I'd found another waiting room, which had all the lights turned off, the orange glow from the lights out on the tarmac, the only relatively bright thing to see. I wandered over to the long stretch of roof to floor windows and nestled into a corner, back against the wall and stared out onto the airfield. Every now and then, I would see small flashing lights in the sky, signalling a plane was flying over the airport. Knights of the Round by A Skylit Drive played in my ears and it suited the moment perfectly. I was sitting in the same position for what seemed like hours, staring out into the night.

"Hey," I heard a muffled voice say from behind me. Before I turned, I knew who it was.

"Go away," I growled, ignoring the fact that I could barely hear myself speak through my music.

"Please talk to me, Ashli."

"You caused this. If you hadn't have told her to tell you, this wouldn't have happened." I knew the absolute hostility in my voice was a little unorthodox but pain and anger seared my heart, making every movement impossible.

"I didn't make Rianna lie about it," Andy said quietly. I took out one earbud and turned my head to glare at him.

"It's still your fault. If you didn't overreact rather than hearing the whole story then I wouldn't be pissed at you right now. So go away." When he didn't move, I kept glaring at him. After a beat, I stood abruptly, snatching up my messenger bag and stalking off, shoving past him. I began to walk back to the waiting area, ignoring the fact that Andy was following me. I stopped suddenly and he collided with me, sending me sprawling.

"Why are you following me?" I growled, ignoring him when he held out a hand to help me up.

"Ashli, you don't understand. I am really sorry. If I knew that was what happened I wouldn't have asked, okay?" Letting my breath out in one big gust, I spun on my heel and continued walking, turning a corner and stopping short. No one was in the waiting room.

"Where is everyone?" I asked shakily, tossing my head from left to right.

"They're on the plane. I came to get you," Andy replied quietly.

"Oh." I took a deep breath before starting for the tunnel that would lead me onto the plane. The stewardess held out a hand for my ticket and I dug it out of my pocket, handing it over and continuing on without a backward glance. When I finally got to sit down in my seat between Shaun and Sophie, my eyes closed and I was asleep instantly.


	19. Chapter 19

**AN:** Hello again. Chapter 19 here. Thankyou to everyone who has reviewed my story so far; I'm really grateful. I also have a very new one-shot up so feel free to read and review. XD

OMG GOING TO A SHORT STACK CONCERT ON SATURDAY NIGHT!!!!! 

i am very excited about this (^) and ill try get some pics for y'all : )

Also, an All Time Low fanfic may be up fairly soon so stay tuned. Apart from that, enjoy…

**To forgive and forget can be the hardest**

You have them at every concert. At every performance. The Fan Sluts. They were probably the worst kind of female population that existed. They didn't sleep with the band, no. But they didn't like the band for their music. Only their looks. In Short Stack's case, I wasn't surprised. Yet even thought around 70% of their fans were Fan Sluts, another 10% or 15% protested rather ambiguously how they didn't just like them for their looks. Yeah, right. As we stood outside the back door of Brisbane Tivoli, hordes of Fan Sluts surrounded us, thrusting papers and cameras at the boys. I noticed three girls and a boy standing off to the side, looking incredibly out of place. Those were the real fans; I could tell. Then one of the girls turned around and my heart leapt. I pushed gently through the fans and finally reached them.

"Claire!" I exclaimed over the shouting girls. The girl smiled and opened her arms for a hug. I gladly went into them, laughing.

"How are you, Ashli?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

"I'm good. What are you doing here?" To say the least, I was surprised to see her.

"Louise over here dragged me along," Claire grumbled, jerking a finger over her shoulder. I bit my lip harshly and willed myself not to cry. She was almost a spitting image of my late friend. Long, dark hair, chocolate brown eyes and of Chinese descent. The only thing different was probably her height. This Louise was a whole lot shorter than my Louise was.

"Hi," I said cheerfully, grinning.

"And this is Jade and her boyfriend Taylor," Claire said, pointing off to the other two in the group. Their hands were joined together, fingers intertwined. It reminded me of a time when everything was a whole lot less complicated, when everything was actually relatively normal between my friends and I, between Andy and I, so I averted my eyes.

"Hey," I greeted them, plastering a smile to my lips.

"Hi," they replied simultaneously, both smiling.

"Well, do you guys wanna come in and talk? Or do you have to be somewhere?" I asked, talking mainly to Claire.

"We don't have to be back at the hotel any time soon," Louise said. "So I guess we could come in with you." I smiled for real and led them to the stage door, ushering them behind Shaun who was signing autograph after autograph. Sam stood at the stage door, looking evil and menacing.

"Who are these people?" he asked me, eyeing the small group.

"They're my friends. Now are you going to let them in or not?" I demanded, hating the way he looked down his nose at them. I noticed Claire was still wearing a long hippie skirt, all the bangles and necklaces still present. She probably always wore that.

"Fine. But they get limited time, got it?"

"Whatever, Sam," I sighed, opened the door and shooing them inside. Casper and Rianna were in the dressing room when we got there, and I dreaded what would happen.

"Hey there," Casper grinned as we walked through the door. It disconcerted me that he was mainly looking at Claire.

"Hey. This is Claire, Taylor, Jade and…Louise," I introduced, pointing at them in turn. Taylor looked relieved to see another male and looked instantly happier. "Everyone, this is Casper." I paused. "And Rianna," I added dejectedly. Rianna was sitting the corner on one of the armchairs, reading a magazine. I saw her flinch when I said 'Louise' but other than that, she stayed motionless.

"How are you?" Claire asked innocently, sitting herself down next to Casper. In about the time it takes for you to click your fingers, they were in deep conversation.

"And then there were three," Louise sighed, grinning.

"You declare that with such complacency," Claire said loudly, narrowing her eyes at Louise. Louise laughed and held up a hand.

"I'm only sayin'. Don't go all freaky-hippie-who-uses-big-words on me." I knew from the tone of her voice that she was joking and I laughed with her. Claire rolled her eyes, grinning, and turned back to Casper.

"So were you guys here to get an autograph from Short Stack?" I asked conversationally.

"Yes! Well, I was. These three here don't exactly like them very much," Louise replied, making herself comfortable in one of the other armchairs. Jade and Taylor nodded in agreement, looking incredibly deadpan.

"Do you want to meet them?" I asked skeptically. Louise's eyes lit up considerably.

"Oh my god are you serious?!" She gushed, shooting up to a standing position.

"No, I'm kidding," I said sarcastically, struggling to contain my laughter. Louise bounded over to me and pulled me into a huge hug. She reminded me so much of my Louise that I had to hold back tears of pain and sorrow. There was a knock at the door and Louise stepped away, looking excited and nervous.

"Come in," I called. The door opened and Lauren and Sophie stepped in, looking a little confused at the new arrivals. "Oh, hey."

"I don't ever want to do that again," Lauren moaned, grabbing a bottle of water from the counter. "All the fan girls…all the sluts…" She trailed off slowly like she was recounting a nightmare. Which, for her, it probably was.  
"It's okay," Sophie said soothingly. "It's not as bad as that time I had to sit through that whole after-concert-meet-and-greet, watching those girls throw themselves at Bradie…by god it was horrible."  
"Oh," Lauren said, stopping short. "Who are you guys?" She looked pointedly at the four newcomers.  
"Taylor, Jade, Claire and…Louise," I introduced them. "This is Sophie and this is Lauren."  
"Wow…" Sophie whispered. "Ashli, she looks just like her."

"I know," I replied quietly.

"Who looks just like who?" Louise asked, curious.

"You look just like our friend Louise," Lauren told her, chewing her lip.

"Is she in the band? It would be so cool to meet her," Louise said, smiling.

"She," Sophie faltered. "She passed away." Louise's face fell.

"Oh…I'm so sorry," she apologised. "I didn't realise. I could wear a mask if you wanted?" I cracked a small smile.

"It's okay, Louise," I assured her. "We're fine." She nodded, not entirely convinced, but sat back down. The door opened and I turned around, half expecting to see Sam booting out Claire and her friends, yet I was wrong. It was of course, Short Stack. From the corner of my eye, I could see Louise's eyes go ten times wider.

"Hey," Shaun said, waving a hand at the newcomers.

"OH MY GOD! I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!" Louise exploded, her voice piercing my eyes. The boys looked taken aback and Louise blushed a bright shade of red.

"Guys…this is Louise, Claire, Taylor and Jade," I introduced the group again and glanced between them. If no one spoke, this was going to be a very long night.

Andy lay back on the couch, his hands behind his head.

"That Louise girl was cute," he sighed, closing his eyes. Shaun – who was digging around in the kitchen of our new hotel room – snickered and Lauren hit him up the head. I happened to be standing next to the couch and glared down at Andy. Shaun laughed once and Andy cracked open an eye, looking straight up at me. I narrowed my eyes and spun on my heel, retreating to the bedroom I shared with Sophie and Lauren.

"What did I say?!" Andy called after me, sitting up.

"You insulted her," Bradie said wisely from the kitchen table.

"How?" Andy asked, confused.

"Oh dear me," Lauren sighed. "He still doesn't understand."

"One day," Sophie muttered, glancing up from her PSP. "It will come back at bite him in the butt _really_ hard."

"I didn't mean to say she was ugly," Andy said. "I mean, she isn't the most beautiful thing in the world but – "

"I can still hear you!" I yelled, laughing the tiniest bit.

"Oh," I heard Andy say, sheepish. "I'll be quiet now." Laughing again, I glanced over at the clock. 1:30 am. No wonder it felt like my eyes were closing in on themselves. Belatedly, I pulled my suitcase to the floor and pulled out my pyjamas, changing into them slowly. Walking back to the main area, I waved once.

"I'm going to bed," I announced, rubbing at my eyes with my free hand.

"Well I'll probably be there soon," Lauren said, yawning. There was a grunt from Casper who was watching the TV.

"Nite," Sophie said, still distracted by her game.

"Bye-bye," Shaun smiled, mouth stuffed with food.

"Sorry," Andy apologised, grinning ashamedly. I giggled drunkenly and waved him off.

"It doesn't matter. Bye!" I said, and turned back to my room, closing the door behind me. I flicked off the light and felt my way over to one of the three single beds. Just as I closed my eyes, there was a knock on the door and light suddenly filled the room. I sat up, peering at the silhouette in the doorway.

"Ashli?"

"Rianna? What are you doing?" I hissed, a little angry.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry," Rianna replied.

"It's a little late for that, don't you think?" My tone was incredibly hostile and bitter, so much so that it scared me to hear it from my mouth.

"I know. I just wanted to say I was sorry," she said quietly.

"You do understand that I can never accept your apology?"

"Yes, I do."

"Then why are you here?"

"I thought I should just try," she told me. "I know what I did was stupid and you can never forgive me for it."

"I'd like to sleep," I said softly.

"Okay. Nite." Rianna backed out of the doorway, closing the door behind her. I lay back down slowly, blinking a few times to clear my head. I found it incredibly hard to comprehend that Rianna had actually apologised to me. Regardless of how much 'pride' and 'dignity' she had, she'd been the first to say sorry. What was the world coming to?

A steady beeping and tapping woke me from my peaceful slumber. I turned over but the beeping was too loud for me to ignore. Drowsily, I peeled open my eyes and sat up on my elbows. Sophie and Lauren were doing the same and both looked over to me. I shrugged my shoulders and swung my legs out of my bed, standing up and stumbling to the door. Pushing it open, I peered into the living area, blinking a few times to adjust to the brightness. Bradie sat cross-legged on the couch, pressing buttons madly on his PSP. So _that's_ what it was…

"Bradie?" I croaked. He looked up, pausing his game.

"Morning," he said brightly.

"Is that really necessary?" I pointed to the gaming device. Bradie looked down at it, then back up at me.

"I'm bored," he announced, pouting.

"The beeping woke us up," I said quietly, jerking my thumb over my shoulder.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I'll try keep it down," he apologised, looking sheepish.

"Thanks." With a smile, I backed into the room, shutting the door behind me. "Bradie and his games," I muttered, glancing up at Sophie and Lauren. They both flopped down onto their pillows, asleep in an instant. Instead of going straight for my bed, I glanced over at the clock on my way to the balcony. 12:45. I'd been asleep for nearly twelve hours; probably a record. Carefully, I parted the curtain and stepped into the small space between the material and the sliding doors, unlocking them and opening them just enough for me to squeeze through. Gently, I shut the doors behind me and walked over to the railing. From the balcony, there was a clear view of the city, the afternoon light and clear blue sky adding a cheerful effect to the scenery. I was silent as I thought about the last few days. Everything about Louise came flooding back, and I struggled to keep the tears at bay. All the memories we'd had with her surged into my brain once more and a small trickle of salty water cascaded down both cheeks.

"You would not believe your eyes, if ten million fireflies lit up the world as I fell asleep," I murmured, remembering the song we thought described Louise so well. After that we'd called it her song, so whenever someone would sing it, we would think of Louise. "Cause they'd fill the open air and leave teardrops everywhere, you'd think me rude but I would just stand and stare." I heard the sliding doors open as I began to sing and knowing it was Lauren and Sophie, I didn't stop. "I'd like to make myself believe, that planet Earth turns slowly. It's hard to say I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep because everything is never as it seems. When I fall asleep." After two more words, they joined in, our voices soaring through the air and mixing with each other's like water flowing down a stream.

"I'd like to make myself believe, that planet Earth turns slowly. It's hard to say I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep because everything is never as it seems. When I fall asleep," we chorused, voices shaking with the tears of misery and slight joy at her memory. When we'd finished, silence filled the air around us, awakening the three of us back to reality.

"I miss her," Sophie whispered, gazing out across the city.

"We all do," Lauren replied, voice unsteady.

"She wouldn't want us to be like this," I said. "She would be angry at us. Remember what she'd be like? Our second mother…"

"Like when you and Sophie would attack each other," Lauren smiled at the memory. "And she would tell you off like a parent." Soph and I laughed once, yet fell silent afterwards.

"Do…do you think we can ever forgive Rianna?" I asked suddenly, making sure I couldn't see their expressions. Even without looking at them, I could sense their disbelief.

"Ashli," Sophie spoke softly. "Are you mad? She kill – "

"I know what she did!" I snapped. "I just don't think we should…hold it against her all her life."

"You must be crazy," Lauren sighed incredulously. "You of all people shouldn't want to forgive her. Remember all the shit she's given you? Remember how she's the reason for everything going wrong on this tour?" I rubbed the bridge between my eyes.

"Lauren, I _know_ all of that. In case you haven't forgotten, most of that shit happened to me. But I just don't think this is something we should hang on her. Imagine being blamed for someone's death," I said reasonably.

"I'm not forgiving her yet," Sophie announced stubbornly.

"I'm not asking you to," I replied. "I'm just saying, in time you'll have to."

"In time," Lauren repeated quietly.

"Meanwhile, we just have to put up with her," Sophie sighed dramatically. I could hear my phone ringing from my bedside table and I quickly excused myself, slipping inside and answering it, silencing the ringtone.

"Hello?"

"Ashli." I was about to hang up, but her voice stopped me. "Don't hang up!"

"What do you want?" I asked curtly.

"It's Jayme," My mother said hurriedly.

"What do you mean?" My voice had reduced to a quiet, deadly calm level.

"She's…she's gone."

* * *

**AN:** I have decided that I am going to recommend a band or two for everyone with every update. So, first band is (drum roll)…

Forever the Sickest Kids.

Everyone should search them up on iTunes…

Comment me with your favourite song and band atm : )

Bye-bye


	20. Chapter 20

**AN: **Chapter 20! : O I'm so excited! Thankyou to absolutely EVERYONE who has reviewed through the past 19 chapters! I owe you guys so much.

BUT: For chapter 19 I got two reviews. Only two. And that makes me a little sad : ( It makes me think that I'm not making my story interesting enough or y'all don't like it : S if you have any suggestions or questions, feel free to message or comment me XD Thanks.

**Friend. Brother. Secret Lover. **

**But she doesn't have a brother…so that doesn't make sense…**

"Gone? What the fuck do you mean 'gone'?" I half-shrieked, trying to slow down my racing heart.

"She's gone!" My mother wailed, suddenly bursting into tears.

"How can she be gone?!" I shouted, my anger getting the better of me.

"I don't know! She's just…gone!"

"How the fuck did this happen?! She's not even three years old yet!"

"I don't know, I told you!"

"Then why are you calling me?!" I shouted, clenching my phone so hard I feared it would break.

"I need your help to find her! Search everywhere you know! We need to find – "

"I'm in Brisbane! I can't help you find her! How could you lose her? How did this happen?!"

"I was at the supermarket and I was loading my bags into the trolley and I turned around and she was gone!" My mother sobbed. Abducted. Molested. Dare I think murdered? My heart clenched in fear as I frantically attempted to think rationally.

"Call the police! They have to find her…call them now!" I yelled, pacing hurriedly across the carpet.

"The police," she murmured. "The police! Yes! They'll find her. They will!"

"Bye mother," I hissed, pulling my phone away from my ear and pressing 'end'. I it onto my bed and sank down on the edge, head dropping into my hands. Jayme. Little Jayme. How the hell could a mother lose her child? Was it even possible?

"Ashli?" Andy's head poked in the door, looking concerned. "Is everything okay?"

"No," I whispered. "It's not." He stepped inside the room a little.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I looked up at him, seeing the apprehension in his eyes. I remembered the way I treated him and everything I'd said at the airport. It was all so stupid of me. Andy was possibly everything I'd wanted at that moment and I dredged up a small smile from somewhere.

"I guess so," I replied quietly. Sophie and Lauren peeked through the curtains, glancing at me worriedly.

"Is everything okay?" Lauren asked, opening the door a little.

"No, but I'll tell you later," I told her, giving her a meaningful look with my eyes. She nodded and closed the door and curtains, turning back to the city view.

"What's up?" Andy asked, dropping down into the very middle of my bed and moving my phone out the way so he didn't sit on it.

"It's Jayme," I whispered, moving into the middle of the doona, facing him.

"Who's Jayme?"

"My little sister. She's nearly three years old."

"What's wrong with her?" Andy sounded genuinely concerned and it made me feel a little bit better to hear that.

"She's missing."

"Oh…that's shit. How…How did she go missing?"

"My mother left her unattended. She wandered off or" – I tried to swallow the lump in my throat – "was taken." Small tears trickled down my cheeks and I wiped at them with the back of my hand. A blanket of silence shrouded us quickly and I struggled to remove it.

"And, they were going to call the police now but I can't do anything to help because I'm here and…and they're in Melbourne and it's just…it's just not fair!" I sobbed, covering my face with my hands. Andy shifted over, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

"How isn't it fair?" He asked softly, pulling me into his chest.

"Out of all the children in the fucking state, she was the one to go missing!" Andy gently squeezed me tighter and kissed my hair.

"They will find her," he assured me. "I know they will. She's probably just wandered off and a nice lady has found her and is about to return her home." It sounded so surreal that I almost wished it was true. But deep down, beyond the barrier between the truth and what sounded good, I knew that was not possible.

"Any news about Jayme?" Sophie asked, bringing me a can of lemonade from the fridge. I sat on the couch, my legs curled up on the cushion beside me.

"No," I replied quietly, glancing despondently at my phone, which lay, deserted, by my feet.

"They'll call soon," she told me, handing me the can, which was already opened. I was silent as I took it from her hand and took a large gulp.

"Thanks. They will call soon. If they don't then I'm calling them…" My voice was so full of fake hope that I barely believed it myself.

"Okay, but keep in mind that it's 4:45. We have to leave pretty soon," Sophie said, smiling a little and running a hand through her hair.

"Okay." I nodded mechanically, returning to my previous state of staring blankly at the TV. Which was off. Just as Sophie turned to go, I stopped her. "Where are Casper, Rianna and Sam and all that?" She stopped for a moment.

"Andy, Shaun and Lauren are out on the balcony," she told me, pointing out a set of doors. "Casper is in the shower. Bradie, Sam and Rianna are up on the roof. I'm about to go there now; I'm still a little worried about leaving Bradie alone with Sam." I nodded my thanks and went back to staring at the TV. I was so caught up with worry that I hadn't even noticed three of my friends were sitting just outside a set of doors, barely four metres from me. I didn't even realise I was alone until someone's mobile rang and no one answered it. Belatedly, I rose to my feet and sought out the phone, ignoring whose it was and pressing 'talk'.

"Hello?"

"Lauren?" The male on the other end sounded confused.

"Who _is_ this?" I asked, a little suspicious.

"It's – "

"What are you doing with my phone?!" Lauren shouted, appearing out of nowhere and snatching the device out of my hand. Words wouldn't form on my lips, so I settled for silence. She pushed me backward weakly towards the door and I backed away, turning and stepping out onto the balcony. I'd never seen Lauren act so weirdly before. It worried me to think that something was going on with her and it was so bad she hadn't told Sophie or me yet.

"Hey," Andy smiled gently at me and gestured to the chair next to him.

"Any news about Jayme?" Shaun asked, looking up at me and shielding his eyes from the glare of the sun. I shook my head bluntly.

"Not yet." Sitting heavily down on the chair, I closed my eyes and let my head drop onto the backrest.

"Are you okay?" Andy asked, hand on my shoulder. I thought for a moment before shaking my head. "Come here." I opened my eyes and saw him sitting up, arms out for me. At first I just looked at him, remembered all the crap I'd given him. But then I realised how hopeful he looked and there was no way I could say no. Slowly, I stood and stepped over to him, lowering myself onto his lap. With my left shoulder against his chest, he wrapped his arms around my waist, almost forcing me to lay my head on his shoulder.

"I'll – uh – I'll be right back," Shaun stammered, rushing to his feet and ducking back inside. Andy and I were silent, the only sound and movement were our chests rising and falling, intake of breath breaking the air around us softly.

"I want to talk about what happened with Rianna. About Louise," I announced. I felt Andy go rigid around me and I put my hand on his own. "Don't worry." He relaxed a little.

"I wanted to apologise for…getting angry," I said. Even though I knew 'getting angry' was possibly the biggest understatement of the century.

"I'm sorry for bringing it up," Andy murmured. "I knew it was a touchy subject for you."

"So we're both sorry?"

"Yeah…I guess so." I smiled the smallest amount. Sitting up, I touched my lips to Andy's cheek softly. He grinned at me and kissed my forehead, chuckling when I rest my head back on his shoulder.

"Do you think there's something going on with Lauren?" I blurted, instantly biting my lip in regret.

"I don't think so. Is there something wrong with her?" I faltered, taking a deep breath.

"Her phone rang and I answered it. There was this guy on the phone and Lauren yelled at me when she saw me talking to him. I think there's something wrong…" I replied, trailing off. Andy pulled away to look at me.

"A guy?" I nodded. "It's her Friend. Brother. Secret Lover."

"Andy, stop rhyming. Please." I smiled, despite the situation.

"Okay," he grinned. "But really," he said, serious again. "I don't think it's anything to worry about." I nodded – doubtfully – but let it go.

"Ashli?" Casper's voice sounded from behind me and I turned my head. "Oh, hi. We're leaving in about twenty minutes and Soph said you need to take a shower because you smell terrible – her words, not mine." He averted my gaze and I knew he was still getting used to the idea of me being with Andy and not him.

"Okay, I'll go now," I told him, smiling as normally as I could even though it was strained. Casper pulled up his mouth in the poorest approximation of a smile ever and went back into the lounge. I turned back around, heaving a sigh that could blow down the Third Little Pig's house with ease. Andy narrowed his eyes at me and bit his lip, shifting me on his lap so my back was against his chest.

"Tell me what's going on," he said quietly, leaning my head back to rest on his shoulder comfortably. I closed my eyes for a moment and struggled to keep myself under control.

"I think," I said slowly and softly, choosing my words carefully. "That Casper still…likes me. As in, more than a friend."

"I know." I sat up a little, shocked.

"You _know_?" Andy ushered me back down and re-wrapped his arms around my waist.

"It's actually really obvious," he replied simply. Groaning in frustration, I squeezed my eyes shut.

"This is all not fucking fair!" I exclaimed, shoving my hands over my face.

"What isn't fair?!" Andy sounded incredulous. Disentangling myself gently from his arms, I stood up in front of him.

"I have two guys – two! – that I love so much but I know that I can only have one of them and my decision as to who I have is going to destroy the other! I can't handle all of this anymore. It's killing me to do all of this when I know I'm hurting someone I love," I cried. There was a piercing silence and I took a deep breath.

"Who do you feel more right being with?" Andy's sudden question startled me.

"I…I feel more right being with you because we have so much in common and we've spent so much time together. But that doesn't mean I don't feel right with Casper," I told him, holding his gaze steadily. He stood and stepped up to me so I now had to crane my neck to look him in the eyes. Slowly, he leaned down and kissed me. Our lips moved together effortlessly, my arms twining around his neck and Andy's arms securing around my waist. Andy's piercing was cold against my skin and a couple of times it snagged against the small patch I had concealing my own piercing. Eventually, we did need air and we both pulled apart, foreheads resting against each other and our breathing erratic. I smiled lucidly and quickly touched my lips to his.

"I didn't do that to convince you," Andy whispered, breathless.

"Even though you didn't you did a pretty good job," I murmured, moving my head back in. Just before I reached his lips, Andy pulled away, grinning impishly.

"You've got to get ready, remember?" He teased, putting his forehead back against mine.

"I have twenty minutes," I whispered. "That's enough time." Without another second's hesitation, I tackled Andy's mouth, fighting to keep myself upright. It's fair to say that if Andy's arms were not around me at that moment, I would've been a heap on the ground. Pure lust coursed through my veins and I knew from the way I was held that Andy was feeling it too.

"Woah! WOAH SHIT!" Shaun's voice reverberated off the cream rendered bricks, tolling in my ears. Yet nor Andy or I stopped or made any move to halt our actions. "THEY'RE EATING EACH OTHER!"

"Shaun! They are not eating – OH! OH THAT IS NASTY!" Sophie cried, sounding close by.

"When did you revert to cannibalism?" Shaun asked, probably attempting humour. From the absence of a hand on my back, I fathomed that Andy was flipping him off. And it felt good to drag that hand right back to where it was.

"We are leaving right now!" Sophie shouted, trying to cover up the small moans that Andy had effectively pulled out of me. I gently halted what I was currently doing.

"You said we had twenty minutes," I protested, getting annoyed.

"Well you've obviously used up those twenty minutes quite effectively," she retorted.

"It hasn't been twenty minutes you fool."

"You think I don't know that?"

"Then how much time do I have left?"

"About ten minutes – "

"That's all I need." Turning back to Andy, I planted one last kiss on the very corner of his lips, grinning when he tried to hold me back. "Do you want her to stand there for the next ten minutes abusing me?" I whispered, watching as Andy glanced over at an impatient looking Sophie.

"Not really. Go, quickly," he replied, almost shooing me inside. I laughed, loving how it filled the room with a sudden lightness. Until I remembered Jayme and the mess that was only a phone call away. Just when you thought that whole 'there-will-always-be-a-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel' cliché was real, it completely contradicted itself and tacked a whole lot onto the end. There-will-always-be-a-light-at-the-end-of-a-tunnel-plus-a-whole-lot-more-darkness was the new one.

"Okay Brisbane! We have been Hush Hush and you have been a fucking amazing crowd!" I shouted into the microphone, bowing. More cheers erupted from the darkness and I laughed as I walked off, following Sophie and Lauren. We were wiping buckets of sweat from our faces and arms, wrinkling our faces in slight disgust. That's just what you got when you performed on a boiling stage. Andy greeted me before we got to the dressing room, smiling from ear to ear.

"Nice job," he said, kissing me gently.

"I'm all disgusting," I protested. "Wait until I'm clean!"

"Maybe I don't want to wait." Andy murmured, kissing me again.

"I never said I wanted to either, but I think it will be a whole lot more enjoyable if I didn't smell or look terrible," I laughed.

"You can never look or smell terrible," Andy said seriously, pulling me into a hug. "Okay, well you can _smell_ terrible…" I laughed again and touched my lips to his neck, wrapping my arms around his waist.

"If you two do not stop sucking face then I will make you stop," I heard Lauren growl from behind me.

"We are not sucking face," I sighed, pulling away. "But I can easily change that." Andy grinned as I reached up to him, putting both hands on the side of his head. I felt the smile in Andy's lips as they moved against mine easily. Suddenly, I felt Lauren's hand on my shoulder, yanking me backwards.

"My eyes cannot take any more," she declared, giving me a withering look when I tried to move back to Andy.

"You never had to watch," I sniffed, finally reaching him and hugging him round his middle, planting a small kiss on his cheek. He leaned down and tackled my lips once more, stopping short after a moment.

"I have to go now," he whispered, looking almost as disappointed as I felt.

"That's okay, I'll still be here when you get back," I replied, smiling devilishly.

"Good." After one last hug and revenge kiss (for Lauren's benefit), he left me standing with a very revolted friend.

"You disgust me so much I think I'm about to be sick," Lauren muttered, rubbing her eyes.

"I think you've been even more disgusted before," I pointed out. "Remember when you walked in on Sophie and Bradie?" Lauren visibly shuddered and seemed to pale.

"How could I ever forget?" She said dramatically.

"Exactly my point." There was silence as we trooped back to the dressing room. Before we got to the door, Lauren took a deep breath.

"Casper still likes you. You're destroying him," she declared, looking me directly in the eyes.

"I know that," I said quietly. "But I can't like him back."

"Can't or won't?" At that moment, I forgot the whole Big Bad Secret that my friend was hiding, and saw just that; my friend.

"That's the hard part. I don't even know anymore."

* * *

**AN: **GASP!!! CLIFFHANGER!!!

Time for my update recommend XD

This Update I am recommending two bands (Yay!) so here they are (drum roll…)

1 Escape the Fate! : O they are freaking amazing . (THANKYOU SOPHIE FOR INTRODUCING THEM TO ME!!!)

2 Nirvana! LOL! They are from the 90's but they are one of my favourite bands and they are incredibly amazing!

If you have never heard any of these bands or their music, there is a thing called YOUTUBE and ITUNES that may be of use to you. Haha jokes….but seriously, Youtube and Google them….you will not regret it….PROMISE : )))


	21. Chapter 21

**AN: **Hello! I think this chapter is a little late so I'm so sorry! BTW thankyou to Blaze for your comment and suggestion. I'm starting a new story and it should be up fairly soon (I'm not making any promises XD) so hopefully you'll enjoy that one.

ALSO this chapter jumps forward a lot and I just wanted to skip all the incredibly pointless, boring stuff so for that to happen, it needed to be pushed forward.

**An Airport can Also Be And Enemy**

Once we were finally back to the hotel, everyone was about to fall asleep. Quickly, I bid goodnight to everyone and slipped Andy a small kiss. As soon as I entered the bedroom I shared with Sophie and Lauren, I flopped down onto the bed, ignoring the fact that I was still wearing my sweaty gross clothes, and closed my eyes. Soon after, I was on the verge of sleep and wakefulness, listening to Soph and Lauren climb into their beds. Ten minutes later, the door opened and Bradie's voice filled the darkness.

"Sophie?" He whispered.

"Bradie?" Soph mumbled, sitting up on her elbows.

"Can I sleep with you? Andy is being scary…" In a second, I was sitting up and stumbling to the door.

"I'll go sort him out," I said quietly, grinning. Because Casper was on the couch and Rianna and Sam shared another hotel room, Shaun had his own bedroom and Andy and Bradie had to share. So did we girls. It took me some time to find Andy's room in the dark, but eventually, I did find it and ducked through the door. From the tiny amount of light coming through the curtains, I could just make out the shape of the double bed and made my way over to it, sliding in next to Andy.

"Hang on a second," he laughed. "You don't feel like Bradie…" He took hold of my hand and pulled me into his arms.

"I'd certainly hope not," I giggled, snuggling into his chest as he wrapped his arms around my waist. Slowly, Andy reached down and kissed me softly.

"You don't kiss like him either," he said thoughtfully.

"I would pray you haven't got something to back that statement up," I whispered.

"Don't worry, I don't."

"Good." I paused. "By the way I smell terrible once more so we should probably keep some distance between each other," I warned, shuffling away. Andy pulled me back to him and made a point of holding me close.

"I don't care how shit you smell," he told me. "I probably smell ten times worse at most times."

"Good point," I admitted, grinning.

"You weren't really supposed to agree with that," Andy said, sounding appalled. I laughed.

"It's a bit late for that, don't you think?" I felt his chest shake as he chuckled, and I tried – and failed – to keep myself steady. After a moment, I rolled over and put my back to him.

"Aww what's wrong?" he whispered, breath tickling my neck.

"I don't like it when my head is bounced up and down," I replied.

"I promise I won't."

"I don't believe you." At this point, I was trying so hard not to laugh that it was hurting my stomach. I felt Andy's arm loop around my waist and pull me to him so my back was against his chest.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, pressing his lips against the skin at the bottom of my neck.

"Forgiven," I whispered, twining my fingers with his and leaning my head back against his chest. I yawned quietly and in a matter of moments, was drifting off into a peaceful slumber.

As I slowly woke, I could still feel Andy's arms around me, his head tucked between my neck and shoulder. After a couple of seconds, I noticed that he was awake, breathing steady against my shoulder. I closed my eyes again, letting the sunlight that filtered through the window behind us wash over my head and neck. After a couple of minutes, a voice sounded softly in my ear.

"I know you're awake," Andy whispered, his lips brushing my skin. My mouth pulled up mischievously.

"How'd you figure it out?" There was a light chuckle and I felt his hot breath tickle my neck.

"I know you too well." He kissed my cheek and tightened his arms around me, head resting in the space between my shoulder and neck. My eyes closed instinctively and I felt Andy's breathing grow slower. Way to ruin a moment; falling asleep. As much as I'd wanted to stay in that bed all day, I knew that at some stage, I'd have to go to the bathroom and eat. Gently, I placed my hands awkwardly under his head and lift it off of my shoulder before quickly ducking forward, letting him flop down onto the pillow. I struggled to unlatch his arms from around me, but when I did and clambered off the bed, he groaned and reached for me, pulling me back down to him.

"It's cold now," he said, touching his lips to my neck.

"It's only because you don't have the doona," I pointed out, reaching down and gripping the duvet, I dragged it over us.

"All better now," Andy murmured, rolling me over so I was facing him.

"Of course it is," I laughed.

"Mmhmm…" He reached down and pressed his lips to mine, his arms winding around my waist gently. I placed both hands around Andy's neck, fingers twining into his hair. There was a moment where I could feel a change in the way Andy was holding me and I knew I had to slow down. I reduce the movement of my lips against his and pulled away a little bit. Andy grinned at me, understanding, and kissed me once more before releasing me.

"Go! Before I keep you here," he said, moving away a little. The doona sagged with the space and I rolled onto the floor, stretching and glancing back down at an almost drooling Andy.

"Don't look at me like that," I mock-reprimanded, narrowing my eyes. Yet he kept looking at me like 'that'. I shook my head and laughed, slipping out the door and into the corridor. I crept to the end, careful not to wake anyone else up. Just as I reached the mouth, I heard a voice talking lowly and oddly flirtatiously.

"I miss you too," the voice said. I peeked round the corner, about to get a look at the person when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I jumped ten feet in the air and spun around, squealing loudly. Sophie clamped a hand over my mouth and made a 'shh' sign with her finger. My heart – which was beating in an unusual pattern – had started to slow very gradually.

"What are you doing?" Soph mouthed.

"What are _you_ doing?" I hissed back.

"I heard someone come down the hall and I came to see who it was," she whispered.

"Well I'm doing the same," I lied. "Just hush for a moment, okay?" I poked my head back around the corner and sought out the person of interest. I pulled back as I comprehended who it was.

"Lauren…" I mouthed. Sophie's eyes widened ten times like Mr. Halleren's nostrils in The Shining. Dragging her forward, I made sure she was looking properly.

"I know," Lauren sighed. "I just don't know how we can keep doing this without anyone finding out. I love you so much…" I pulled Soph back down the hall after me.

"She's cheating on Shaun!" I hiss-exclaimed.

"I bags not telling him!" I gave her a withering look.

"It's not about who is telling him. Lauren has hooked up with another guy and _didn't tell us_! Doesn't that bother you?"

"A little…"

"Well we can't let her know we know okay?"

"Okay. So we just walk in there like we didn't hear anything?" I nodded doubtfully. So, with a deep breath, we strode into the living room as casually as we could just as Lauren was pressing 'end' on her mobile.

"What are you guys doing up so early?" Lauren asked, looking up from her phone.

"Andy was crushing me," I piped up.

"And Bradie was snoring," Sophie said.

"See? I told you he snored!" I exclaimed, trying to make the conversation less awkward.

"Anyway," Sophie rolled her eyes. "Who were you talking to?"

"Oh – uh – my cousin, Kate," she stammered, averting our gazes.

"Cool," Soph replied. I heard my phone ring from inside my bedroom and I muttered an apology, running to answer it. Bursting into my room, waking Andy, I dived for my phone and snatched it up, ignoring the Called ID.

"Hello?" I was a little out of breath and waited for the other person to reply.

"Ashli?"

"What do you want?" I asked my mother, sitting down heavily on the bed. Andy grabbed my free hand and dragged me over to him, forcing me to lie down.

"They found her. They found my Jayme," she gushed. Relief crashed over me like a tsunami and I closed my eyes with the sheer emotion.

"Where? How?"

"A lady found her wandering along the street and brought her to the police station. It's all alright now." Ecstatic, I said goodbye quickly, tossed my phone to the floor and crushed my lips to Andy's. When we came up for air, Andy grinned approvingly.

"What's with the sudden change of mood?" he asked.

"They found Jayme. A nice lady found her and brought her to the police station," I smiled.

"I told you so…"

"I know." I kissed him again, softer this time, and sighed contentedly. After a moment I pulled away and hugged him. After a split second's hesitation, he wrapped his arms around me.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"For what?" I asked incredulously.

"For all that shit with Rianna." I paused before answering.

"All of that stuff wasn't your fault." I shifted so I was looking him in the eyes. "Okay?" He smiled the tiniest bit before planting a kiss on my forehead.

"Okay."

As the curtains closed on our very last show in Perth a day later, a knot of despair tightened in my stomach. We trooped back to the dressing room, tired and sweating. Rianna and Casper were already in there, lounging about, looking all clean and dry. I envied them so much at that moment.

"That was by far the best concert we've played," Shaun grinned, flopping down onto the couch.

"Nah…the one in Sydney was better…" Bradie said, grabbing a bottle of water from the bench. I tuned out the 'great debate' and closed my eyes. In a matter of hours I would be separated from all of this, back in a world where I didn't belong or like one bit.

"Hey, are you okay?" Lauren asked quietly, nudging my shoulder. I forced myself to smile.

"Yeah, I'm all good. Just tired," I replied. She smiled and went back to annoying Sophie – a daily habit that (as entertaining as it was) was something no one wanted to put up with.

The next morning, I was awoken by Andy who was already fully clothed and looming over me like a tower.

"Ashli?" he whispered. I moaned and turned over, burying my head in the doona. "Ashli!"

"What?"

"We're leaving now." I closed my eyes tight and bit my lip.

"I don't want to leave," I whispered, my voice cracking.

"Why not? You get to go home…"

"Exactly! I have to go home. And leave you." There was a second where the sheets rustled and I felt Andy's arms close around my middle. I fell back against him and breathed slowly.

"We can still talk you know," he told me, kissing my cheek.

"I know but it's not the same as being with you."

"We will see each other," he promised. "We'll organise to meet up okay?" I nodded silently and felt the knot of despair loosen the smallest amount.

"I have to get up now don't I?" I sighed and even before Andy responded, I sat up slowly, watching as he rolled off the bed. He held out his hands to me and I took them, letting him pull me to my feet. He smiled once before turning to the call of Bradie who was demanding where Andy put his straightener. Andy jogged out the door to his stepbrother and I took it as a sign to start packing. Because all of my belongings I didn't have to shove much back into the suitcase. Hurriedly, I changed into a pair of red tartan tights, a black tunic dress and my favourite marching band jacket, complete with brass buttons. Shoving my pyjamas back into the case, I jammed my black Converse onto my feet and dragged myself out the door, suitcase and all. Everyone was congregated in the lounge already; bags propped up against the wall. I wheeled mine next to the row and dropped onto the couch next to Soph.

"Sophie?" She turned towards me, not looking entirely ecstatic.

"Hi," she replied.

"Uh…can I…stay with you for a bit?" I asked tentatively.

"Like, at my house?" I nodded. "Sure." A fleck of happiness glittered in her eyes and I was proud that I could at least brighten _someone's _day.

"Hey, Ashli?" Casper appeared in front of me, looking down at me with trepidation.

"Hi."

"Can I…can I talk to you?" I shrugged and stood up, following him out to the hallway.

"What is it?" I wasn't exactly in the mood for niceties.

"I'm not going back to Melbourne."

"Wh…what?"

"I'm not coming back to Melbourne with you."

"Why not?!" I shrieked, eyes growing wide.

"I'm going back to Sydney with the guys. I'm going to live with Sonny…"

"You're not coming back with us?" Casper shook his head. I bit my lip and threw my arms around his neck, tears silently rolling down my cheeks. "Why are you going?"

"Sonny and I organised that he would get me a job. I'm not getting anywhere while I'm in Melbourne," he told me softly, arms wrapped around me.

"I'll miss you," I whispered.

"I know," he replied. "I'll miss you too." I pulled away and smiled shakily at him, wiping away all traces of my tears.

"I think Sam was going to give us a speech," I said. "We better go back inside." With another hug, I followed Casper back into the room. Sure enough, Sam was standing in front of the couch, about to start talking.

"Ah! Get over here. We're running late!" He commanded, jabbing a finger at the couch. We took our places on the soft, plush sofa and sat back. "Now! During this tour some events have taken place that were either disrupting," – he shot a glare towards me – "private," – his eyes drifted towards Bradie – "or just plain excellent." Sam's eyes stopped on Rianna and I swear I saw his lips twitch into a kissing motion. My stomach dropped instantly when he looked at Bradie and I remembered the night I'd confronted him about it.

"What's this all about?" Shaun piped up. "We have to be on a plane in two hours. We kind of have to get going."

"I'm nearly finished!" Sam snapped. "As I was saying, these events are not to be taken outside of this tour and onto the Internet. Understood?" We all nodded our heads uncertainly, hopefully satisfying whatever he wanted.

"Can we go now?" Bradie asked after a second of silence, clearly looking uncomfortable.

"Down to the van," Sam instructed, moving for the door. We all followed, picking up our interments and bags on the way out.

After checking out of the hotel room, we piled into the van for the last time. The ride to the airport was silent as it was tense. No one spoke in fear of provoking tears. Through the ride though, Andy's fingers were twined with mine and never once let go. When we arrived at the airport, we went through the usual procedures. Turn in the hired van, put our bags through the luggage check etc etc. But one thing was different. When it came time to go to our respected terminals, it was another one of those moments when no one spoke. Yet after a second, Lauren bound forward and crushed her lips to Shaun's, breaking the spell of no movement. Bradie and Sophie moved to each other quickly, arms wound so tight around the other that I feared one of them would pass out. I wandered my eyes over to Andy who looked like he was struggling to keep still. I tilted my lips up slowly and watched as he stepped forward and pulled me into an embrace that was both comforting and sad. He pulled away minutely and pressed his lips to mine softly. That, of course, was when my tears appeared again. They rolled down my cheeks, accompanied by soft sobs, which rocked through my body so violently that I relied on Andy's arms to keep me upright. After I pulled away, I buried my face into the nook between Andy's shoulder and neck for the last time. We stood like that for what seemed like hours until I felt a tugging on my arm.

"Ashli." Sophie's voice cracked as she spoke my name softly. "We have to go." Tears rolled down her cheeks and she didn't seem to even care that everyone was watching her cry. I struggled to swallow the lump in my throat and looked Andy in the eyes.

"I'll miss you," I whispered.

"I'll miss you too," Andy replied, reaching down and kissing my cheek softly. Closing my eyes, I tried to keep the feel of his lips on my skin embedded in my mind. After a second, I reopened them and did a one eighty, quickly giving Casper a hug.

"If you come back to Melbourne," I told him hurriedly. "Call me, okay?" I felt him nod. Pulling back, I smiled at him once before kissing Andy once more, quickly, and took a deep shaky breath. "You'll miss me right?" I murmured, trying to smile through my tears. Andy leaned in to my ear.

"Everyday," he whispered. I bit my lip and stepped away, squeezing my eyes shut. Someone tugged my arm again, and I stepped away once more.

"I love you," I said softly. I'd always imagined that saying those words to someone would be so difficult yet I had no trouble speaking those three syllables. When there was no reply, I cracked open my eyes. The first thing I saw was Andy's chest. He reached down and touched his lips to my cheek.

"I love you too." That was all I needed to hear and I let Sophie drag me away.

Slowly, we found our way to the terminal waiting area and sat down heavily in the seats. It gradually dawned on me that we were missing someone.

"Lauren?" My voice had climbed two octaves higher in that one word. She faced me mutely. "Where's Rianna?" Her head turned and she scanned her eyes over the room before glancing back at me and shrugging.

"She met up with her mother apparently," Lauren whispered.

"Her mother?"

"Yeah."

"We're in _Perth_, Lauren," I pointed out. She was silent for a split second but then sighed heavily.

"Ah shit," she moaned. "She probably got a flight to Sydney with…"

"The guys." My eyes closed and sleep pulled at me instantly. Yet no matter how tempting or comforting it seemed, I had to keep myself awake. In the back of my mind, I knew that my dream would be the first of many to bring tears.

* * *

**AN:** Well there you have it.

This update I'm changing it :O I'll be giving you two songs instead of a band. SO:

Red Flag (by Billy Talent)

Tiny Dancer (by Elton John)


	22. Chapter 22

**AN:** Chapter 22! Hope everyone enjoys it. Just a little warning, this chapter contains minor – minor – rape scenes so if you don't like that kinda stuff then maaaybe you might not want to read this XD

**Max, Simon and Jacob. **

"Mum?" Sophie's voice echoed through her empty house. "She must be out," she mumbled, climbing the three steps and dumping her bangs next to the kitchen table. Pip – her Jack Russell – came bounding up from the lounge room, almost hitting her legs. Soph picked him up and hugged him to her.

"I missed you so much Pippi," she laughed, trying to stop him as he madly licked her face. With the dog in her arms, she made her way to her bedroom. Her cat Miaou was lying across her pillow and I went to scoop her up. At first, she seemed a little pissed but then snuggled into me. I propped myself up against the headboard and cradled the cat in my arms. When she tried to scramble out, I just let her go, watching as she flounced out the door.

"Do you think we'll ever see them again?" I asked quietly, pulling at a loose thread on my jacket.

"Ashli," Soph sighed. "Please don't talk about it. You're just going to get upset again."

"It's only a question," I mumbled, swinging my legs to the floor and standing, going back to the kitchen for a drink. Considering Lauren and I'd been going to Soph's house since we were thirteen, we practically considered it our own home. Pushing my way out onto the deck, I jogged down a small flight of stairs and turned left into their laundry. Opening the fridge they had in there, I pulled out two cans of lemonade and brought them back up to Soph who was sitting in the lounge.

"I can't believe the tour is over," she sighed, flicking on the TV.

"Me too. What if…what if Andy finds a girlfriend?" I asked timidly, curling up on one of their armchairs and taking a sip of the lemonade. She thought for a moment before taking a breath.

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "If he likes you that much he won't just dump you like that." I gnawed lightly on my lip and gazed down at my hands.

"Okay," I replied softly. Just then, Sweet December played on the music channel and I felt tears well up in my eyes. Soph snatched the remote from her lap and changed the channel.

"This isn't going to work well," I sighed, resting my head back on the soft suede of the chair.

"I know." I could see tears forming in Sophie's eyes and I struggled to keep my own at bay. Needless to say it didn't work.

"Sophie? Bella, are you here?" Sophie's mum – Michelle – called through the house. We looked up from the TV to see her standing in the doorway, Dennis – her step dad – standing behind her.

"Mum!" Soph exclaimed, smiling from ear to ear and rising to give her a hug. Out of all our parents, Sophie's were definitely the nicest. We all loved Michelle; she was like our second mother.

"Hello Ashli. How are you going?" Michelle asked, smiling at me kindly.

"I'm okay, I guess," I replied, smiling a little.

"How was Crap Stack?" Dennis chided, grinning from ear to ear.

"Piss off Dennis," Sophie growled, looking incredibly angry.

"Language!" Michelle warned, shaking a finger at her daughter. "Would you girls like something to eat? Though, Dennis is making dinner soon so you could also wait."

"I'm fine, thanks," I replied. "I think I'm just going to go to bed; I've had a long day." I smiled again and stood, stretched, and made my way to Soph's bedroom where I curled up on the corner of her bed. In a matter of seconds, I was asleep.

My phone rang it's message tone at around 12:30 the following afternoon. To avoid waking up Sophie – who was asleep next to me – I stepped over her, grabbed my phone from the bedside table and jogged out to the lounge room. Dennis and Michelle had gone out, leaving the house empty. Settling into one of the armchairs, I glanced at the screen, sighed and answered.

"Hello?"

"What's up?" I bit the inside of my cheek hard.

"Casper, why are you calling from Andy's phone?" My voice sounded oddly strained and I tried to keep it relatively normal.

"He asked for me to call you but I don't – " There was a second of silence before another voice took over the line.

"Hey there," Andy greeted, sounding like he was smiling. I concentrated hard on keeping my tears at bay and I was thankful that it was working.

"Hi. What's wrong?" Of course, I knew there didn't have to be anything wrong for him to call, I was just the smallest bit worried.

"Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to talk to you," he replied, sounding confused.

"Oh, okay," I said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Are you alright?" Now Andy sounded worried.

"Not really," I answered honestly.

"Tell me what's wrong." I took a deep breath and squeezed my eyes shut.

"I miss you," I whispered, voice cracking.

"I miss you too. But it's only been one day. You can't miss me _that_ much," he said. A bout of flirtatious laughter came from the background and I froze.

"What was that?" I asked through clenched teeth.

"Nothing!" he answered quickly. The laughter sounded again and I flinched instinctively. Before recognising exactly who it was.

"Andy, why are you with Rianna?" My voice was low and full of warning.

"She's just hanging out with us."

"So she's staying in Budgewoi?"

"Yes." I tapped my fingers on my jaw.

"Where is she staying?" Andy seemed to sigh regretfully.

"At my place." My fingers clenched into a fist and I could feel my heart speed up. "Shaun was the one who suggested it! And I was the only one who had a spare room," he protested.

"Why couldn't she just stay at a motel?"

"Because we didn't want her to stay somewhere alone."

"So you decided it would be best for her to stay with _you_?" I asked incredulously. "In case you've forgotten, Andy, she ruined half my life."

"I know that. Ashli, you have to stop judging her on what she's done in the past. Just let it go," he said calmly.

"She murdered my best friend!" I yelled. "How am I supposed to let that go?"

"Listen to me," Andy said softly. "I know what she did was bad. But imagine how she would feel about it."

"I don't care how she feels about it. She murdered someone. Murdered them. And she didn't get anything for it. I suffered so fucking much because of her so I'm not forgiving her anytime soon."

"Okay. Be that way then. It's your choice. I have to go – "

"Andy please don't leave while you're pissed at me," I interrupted.

"I'm not pissed at you, babe," he sighed, sounding nothing _but_ pissed.

"Alright. Bye."

"Bye." The line went dead and I felt tears trickling down my cheeks. Why did everything I do end badly? A creak came from the doorway and I glanced up, smiling a little.

"Was that Andy?" Soph asked, looking like she wanted to give me some space. I wiped at my eyes and nodded.

"Yeah. Rianna's staying with him." I licked my lips and looked back down at my phone.

"Really?"

"Yeah," I sighed.

"She's not going to try anything," Sophie reassured me. "If she does I know Andy will stop her. Or you will." I grinned somewhat evilly.

"Yeah." My face fell. "Do you remember when Rianna first came with us and was hitting on Andy. And he didn't do anything? What if that happens again?"

"It won't," she said firmly, her tone holding implications of all sorts.

"I'd hate to see what you'll do to him if he does." She grinned rather evilly.

"I'll enjoy it thoroughly."

"Well I trust you, okay? So no beating anyone senseless unless they deserve it, hear me?" When Soph saluted me like an army recruit, I grinned and grabbed her laptop from the coffee table.

"I'm gonna go have a shower. Feel free to do whatever," she told me, waving a hand. I 'mhmed' and let her leave, silence swimming in her wake. I clicked onto the Internet once her laptop had booted up, logging into my Twitter account. I'd received so many replies since I'd last tweeted the day before and it made me feel bad when I didn't reply to any of them. So I spent the next twenty minutes replying to every single person. Some people were sad that the tour was over, some sluts wanted to know if Andy was free yet. So I told all _those _girls that any rumours they'd heard were complete bullshit. And so I got many angry replies from the sluts in return.

"Ashli!"

"Sophie!" I called back.

"Don't copy me! What do you want for lunch?" I laughed and rubbed my nose – a habit I'd acquired when I was thinking or deciding something.

"Is that Lebanese place with the pizza still on the main street?" I asked as she came into the lounge, pulling her hair into a ponytail.

"It's been there for ages. And it's still there now. Let's go!" Flicking off her laptop, I hurriedly changed into a pair of shorts and a hoodie, pulling on my black Converse and pocketing a twenty. Sophie grabbed Pip's leash and clipped it to his collar as we walked out the door. The cold air was biting as we trooped out to the main road of Belgrave. Cars drove past and tooted us, only to be flipped off and yelled at. I pulled my hood over my head, trying to keep out the icy breeze that had picked up. When we arrived at the string of shops lining both sides of the street, I spotted three guys, looking around twenty years old, tattoos covering every bare inch of their skin. One of them spotted us, turned to say something to his two mates and then they all turned to stare. I grabbed Sophie's sleeve and pulled her across the road through a gap in the traffic.

"What are you doing?" She asked, looking confused and pissed.

"There are these three guys across the road who were looking at us," I hissed, continuing along the road. She glanced behind her and seemed to go rigid.

"They look…"

"Scary?" I supplied, stopping at a set of lights. Soph scratched Pip's head and leant against a street light.

"A bit creepy." I shot her an 'are you mad?' look and crossed the street. Back to the side where the guys were. My hood had fallen down and I was tempted to pull it back up, but I was also afraid that I wouldn't be able to see the three guys as well if I did.

"They're up there," she whispered. My head shot up to stare ahead and sure enough, there they were, leaning against a wall. My heart sped up in my chest and I ran my tongue over my teeth.

"Just…keep going. If we show we're afraid they'll come after us," I said shakily, continuing to walk. We made our way up the path, which sloped up parallel to the road, the shops continuing up with it. A metre away from the guys, one of them straightened up. Just as we passed, he called out.

"Hey ladies." When we kept walking, he began to follow. "I'm Max. What are two lovely looking girls like you doing out alone?"

"Look, can you just leave us alone?" Sophie said firmly, looking him in the eyes. He grinned and glanced back at his friends who had come up behind him.

"Now why would you want that?" Max asked, stepping closer.

"Back off," I warned, glaring at him.

"What are you gonna do about it?" One of the others leered, moving towards me.

"Calm down, Jacob. You'll get your turn," Max told him.

"Just leave us alone," Soph growled.

"I know you don't want that," Max grinned. Jacob stepped out from behind him, simpered at me, looking me up and down and grinned more. My stomach turned over heavily.

"Fuck off," I said clearly. Max's jaw clenched and he didn't look too happy any more.

"What are you gonna do about it?" Jacob repeated, pulling himself up to his full height – which was tall.

"Do you really want to know?" Sophie smirked.

"I'd love to," the last one said, jumping forward and grabbing hold of her arm. Pip began barking viciously and Max grabbed him, yanking the leash from Soph's hand and shoving him away. Pip ran off, barking loudly.

"Simon," Max barked. Simon turned towards him. "Not now." When he didn't let go of her, I grabbed Simon's arm and dug my nails into his flesh.

"Get off her," I hissed. When he grabbed her shoulder, Soph struggled against him and he shoved her backwards. I pushed my fist upwards, slamming his nose and sending blood running down his mouth. Jacob grabbed my hand and dragged me towards an alley.

"Get the fuck off me!" I yelled, gathering a fistful of his hair and tugging hard. He let go of me instantly and I threw my fist at his cheek. He grabbed my leg as he sunk on one knee, trying to keep me from running off.

"You're not going anywhere," he laughed hoarsely, tugging my leg and sending me sprawling to the pavement. The breath was knocked out of me and I struggled to get air back into my lungs. He pulled me up by my arm and I coughed dryly, feeling like I was about to cough up a kidney. Staggering against his grip, I had nothing to do but let him pull me to the alley. It was considerably darker in the alley and I watched in mute horror as Jacob pulled something square and foil out of his back pocket. He shoved me against the brick wall and I did the only thing I could think of.

"Rape!" I screamed. He clapped a hand over my mouth and looked murderous. His fingers tightened on my wrist and I feared he would break it.

"Keep your mouth shut," he warned, so close to me I could smell his breath. Tears welled in my eyes and I whimpered like a child as he moved his hands to my waist. "Try anything and you'll pay." I closed my eyes and dug my nails into my palms, praying the pain wouldn't be that bad. When I felt his fingers getting closer to my short's button, I couldn't stop it.

"Rape! Fucking rape! Fucking help me!" I screamed as loud as I could, my throat in immense pain. A blinding pain shot through my cheek as Jacob slapped me sharply. Just as he moved his hands back to my shorts, someone appeared in the mouth of the alley, looking defensive.

"What's going on here?" They demanded. Jacob spun towards the guy who looked about forty years old. I took my chances and turned around, bolting up the other end of the alley and out behind the line of shops. I didn't stop. My feet thudded heavily against the ground as I tried to get away. Tears streamed down my cheeks and sobs burst out of my lips as I ran down to the main street again. Up ahead, I saw Max and Simon turning towards the direction I was in. I ducked around a corner and stumbled down to the train tracks. I slipped in mud multiple times and once I reached the bottom of the hill, took back off again. When I got to the part of the bike track that led up to Sophie's street, I realised I had no idea where she was. As I reached into my pocket for my phone, I realised that my hands were shaking violently and a small trickle of blood was snaking from my nose. I didn't think Jacob hit me that hard. I struggled to dial Soph's number but when I finally did, she didn't pick up. I tried three times, yet she still didn't answer. My heart thudded in my chest again and a fresh round of tears welled in my eyes. I dialled again and again, sobbing louder every time she didn't answer. A flurry of male voices carried down the path in the direction I'd come and I threw myself into a lot of bushes, biting my tongue to keep myself still. I knew it was Max, Jacob and Simon when I heard Max swearing at Jacob for getting caught with me. Once their voices had faded, I crawled out of the bushes and staggered to my feet. My legs carried me back down the path until I came to a shortcut we sometimes used to get to the main street and scrambled up the hill, climbing shakily over the fence and hitting the ground. My phone was still clenched between my fingers and I was careful to hold onto it as I ran up the hill onto the main street. I took a quick look around before pulling my jumped down over the top of my shorts which were coated in mud. Walking hurriedly down the street, I looked in every shop and alley for Soph. When I looked on both sides of the road, I dialled Bradie's mobile, crying with joy when he answered on the second ring.

"Bradie!" I cried.

"Ashli? What's wrong?"

"Soph…she – we – there was…she – three guys and – "

"Ashli, calm down. What happened?"

"Bradie I – I can't – I can't find her!" I exclaimed, tears soaking my cheeks.

"Can't find who?"

"I can't find Sophie!" I shrieked, collapsing against a wall.

"What happened?"

"There were these…three guys and they – they tried to ra-rape us and…I ran off and then I – I came back to get her and – and I can't find her," I sobbed.

"Just call her," he said, sounding angry and not exactly calm.

"I tried! I can't get to her. She's – she's not answering." There was silence and I heard Bradie's feet hitting the floor, pacing.

"I'll try her phone again, okay? Just keep looking for her – "

"Ashli, are you okay?" Andy's voice overtook the line.

"No?"

"Did you say three guys tried to _rape_ you?"

"Andy please…I can't talk about this now. I – I need to find Sophie now. I'm s-sorry. Call me later. Please, put B-Bradie back on," I stammered, wiping at my eyes.

"Okay but you need to tell the police. Or someone that can do something about this, alright? Do you promise?"

"Yes…okay just p-put him back - back on."

"Okay."

"Ashli?" Bradie was back.

"I'm – I'm here."

"Keep looking for her. I'll keep trying to call, okay?"

"Alright. B-bye." Without waiting for an answer, I pressed 'end' and tucked my phone back into my pocket, going back up the street. My feet had begun to ache from running and little cuts on my legs had started stinging. I looked over the whole street again and again, praying that Bradie had gotten through to her. When I passed an alley, a soft whimpering noise floated up from a shadow. I slipped into the alley and crept forward, realising that it definitely wasn't a human made noise. The noise in the shadow slowly formed a shape. A small body, short legs and two floppy triangle ears.

"Pippi!" I exclaimed, scooping him up into my arms. Pip seemed to perk up considerably and licked my face, yelping. I carried him out to the street and set him down onto the ground, taking hold of his lead. My phone vibrated in my pocket and I dug it out, heart leaping at the Called ID. "Sophie. Where – Where the fuck are you?" I gushed, a fresh round of tears being produced.

"I'm at home. Just…come now. Please." She sounded worried and a little spaced.

"I'll be there in f-five minutes. Don't move," I said, hanging up and picking Pip back up. I ran down the street, dodging pedestrians and weaving around tables and chairs. When I reached Sophie's street, I was puffing so badly I could barely go any further. Pip scrambled out of my arms and scampered off towards his house, me running after him. When I got to the gate, I saw Soph curled up against the bars, in a little ball.

"Oh my god. You're here, you're okay," I cried, dropping down next to her and resting against her.

"I don't think I'm okay," she whispered.

"What happened?" I sat bolt upright and scrabbled to sit in front of her.

"They hit me."

"Where?"

"My head…" I lifted her head gently and pulled back her fringe. Sure enough, there was a deep red gash across her forehead, starting on top of her left eyebrow and finishing at her left temple.

"Oh shit," I gasped. She blinked up at me twice before her eyes closed and she slumped into my arms.

* * *

**AN:** Okaay this update I'm going to recommend a band AND a song.

Band: Them Crooked Vultures (listen to New Fang)

Song: Not Good Enough For Truth In Cliché (by Escape The Fate)

Enjoy ^^


	23. Chapter 23

**AN: **okay so instead of writing about how I came about writing this chapter, I thought I'd reply to some reviews I got ^^

Hanna: PLEASE don't stay up till 1 reading my story! I don't want you to fall asleep in class coz of me

Blaze: My friend will KILL me if I put that in there. But I'll do something special for you

SenseOfPretend: I like Ronnie more. But Max is my favourite. Haha he's awesome ^^

Tkoverload: I love your reviews. They are always so energetic haha. But really, thankyou so much ^^

And thankyou to everyone who has reviewed. :D And feel free to review suggestions!

**The receptionist.**

My dream wavered in and out of my vision as my head drooped towards my chest. As soon as I realised I was about to fall asleep, I snapped my head back up and blinked at the fluorescent tubes of light strung from the roof. Everything in the hospital was white, clean, sterile. It hurt my eyes to look around myself, the white walls and floors and roofs too much to bear. I'd had two cups of coffee in the past hour to try keep myself awake; it wasn't working. At one point I considered lying across the seats in the waiting room and taking a nap for a few minutes before the image of my friend, limp in my arms, flashed up in my brain like a movie screen. I instantly jolted back awake every time. Eventually, I rose to my feet and paced around the too-well lit waiting area. A steady clip clopping echoed down the hall towards me and I tensed myself for the worst. The nurse looked to be in her forties, wrinkles setting in around her eyes.

"Are you Miss Ryder's friend?" My heart ached to hear Soph's last name. I hadn't heard someone say it with such a melancholy tone of voice.

"Yes," I croaked.

"I'm afraid Miss Ryder will not be able to leave the hospital tonight." My heart constricted in my chest and I found it difficult to breathe.

"What?" I managed to squeeze out. The nurse looked grave but a flicker of concern flashed in her dark eyes.

"Her condition is stable but a blow to the head can have severe effects on the brain. We are not permitted to let her leave the hospital until every test comes back positive," she explained. I nodded numbly and blinked sleepily. "Why don't you go get some rest?" She suggested softly. I shook my head stubbornly.

"I'm not leaving her here. She hates hospitals and I can't leave her by herself," I said.

"Alright. I best be going now. Just let me know if you need anything," she replied, nodding at me before starting back down the hall. Tears welled in my eyes and I angrily slammed a palm against the wall. Why did everything have to go so badly? Distraught with annoyance, confusion, anger and fear for my friend, I sank to the floor and dug my mobile out of my pocket. I tried calling Lauren for the fiftieth time that day. She still didn't answer. In the back of my mind, I wondered what she could possibly be doing. I tried Michelle and Dennis again and they didn't pick up either.

"Where the fuck are you all?" I growled to myself, staring at the blue plastic chair across from me. My eyes started to close themselves again and I stood quickly, determined to stay awake. Slowly, I dialled Bradie's number, praying that he would answer so I could talk to him. Talk to someone. Yet a pathetic message tone rung in my ears. I was so close to throwing my phone to the linoleum floor, wishing I had the satisfaction of watching it smash into a million tiny pieces. But of course, that wouldn't help any one. Let alone my situation. Tiredly, I dragged a hand across my eyes and walked over to the door of Soph's room. A small window was cut out in the middle of the wood and I peered in. Her eyes were closed, a tube threaded into her wrist and connecting to a drip. My mouth was dry and a low growl came from my stomach. I tucked my bottom lip under my teeth and took a deep breath.

"I'll be back soon," I whispered to the little window. "I'm just going to get some food, okay?" Tears swam behind my eyes when Sophie didn't even move and I stepped away from the door, turning for the elevator and continuing down the wide hall. When I got down to the first floor where the canteen was, I realised I wasn't hungry anymore. But I was in need of some fresh air. The receptionist gave me a wan smile as I passed her to get to the sliding doors. I tried to return the smile, but an exhausted grimace took its place. It was freezing outside. And that was putting it mildly. My breath came out in little white puffs, clouding my vision momentarily before dissipating into the dark night sky. Ten whole hours had passed since the whole scene back in Belgrave, yet I still felt wrong and somewhat violated. It also worried me that Michelle and Dennis hadn't noticed we were gone; or they hadn't been home yet. I leant back against the rendered grey wall and gazed out across the parking lot, cars dotting the various spaces provided. The busy main road beyond the cars was almost packed with vehicles, moving at a snail's pace, making me want to sleep even more. But I wasn't going to leave Soph here all by herself.

"I wonder how long it will take me to fall asleep standing," I mused, sighing heavily.

"Probably as long as it takes for you to lie down and close your eyes." I spun around, breath catching in my throat. A guy stood in the shadows, tall and wearing dark clothes. "Hey, relax, it's just me." Casper stepped forward, his ever-present cocky smile spread across his face. Relief washed over my body and I bounded forward to hug him. His arms closed around my waist and he lift me off the ground, laughing. When he set me back on the concrete, I hugged him again, resting my head in the nook between his neck and shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Casper whispered, stroking my hair.

"I'm scared for Soph," I replied quietly.

"Don't be. If she's in a hospital then she'll be fine," he told me, steering me towards the doors.

"But people die in hospitals," I quipped. His laughter filled the icy air around us. As soon as I stepped into the light flooded reception, I was slightly warmer and feeling less and less alone by the seconds. This was probably because Casper had slipped his hand into mine, fingers twined with mine. The receptionist gave up on smiling at me, probably in fear that I would give her my evil grimace again. The trip up the elevator was partly silent, only being broken by the 'ding' that sounded when we hit a new floor. When the doors slid open to reveal the white hallway again, I took a deep breath.

"What _are_ you doing here?" Casper thought for a moment.

"I'm here for you." My stomach clenched with guilt as pain crossed my face.

"Casper, I – "

"I know; I remember. I'm here as a friend. Not because I want to 'win you over'," he said clearly, cutting me off. I nodded mutely and turned to the waiting area. I didn't have the liberty of muttering to myself anymore, so I settled back on a hard plastic chair and gnawed my lip. The silence radiating through the hospital was deafening, the steady beeping of heart monitors the only sign that the place was still alive. After what seemed like hours, Casper spoke.

"I know that you want Andy here," he said, picking at a hole in his dark jeans. It wasn't exactly a lie.

"Casper, I would rather you here than no one," I answered honestly. That didn't seem to cheer him up.

"I hitched a ride all the way down here," he said quietly. _Oh no, not a guilt trip_.

"Please don't," I whispered, hurt.

"The first guy kicked me out after half an hour."

"Casper," I warned; he pain no attention.

"Then the second guy took me to the border. I walked for another two hours," he continued. I let my head drop into my hands with defeat. "Then a lady drove me down to the city and I walked through the whole night. Then – "

"Stop it!" I screamed, standing and knocking my chair against the wall. "Why are you doing this to me? I already feel guilty enough!" Casper stared at me blankly, no emotion registering in his face or eyes. A lone tear spilled down my cheek and I wiped it away angrily. Another round of clip clopping echoed towards us and I clenched my fists into tiny balls. A nurse rounded the corner – a different one from the one I'd met before – and glared at us with her beady eyes.

"Patients are trying to sleep," she said briskly. "It would be greatly appreciated if you leave." Anger bubbled up inside of me.

"I'm not leaving," I growled. The nurse lifter her chin, attempting to intimidate me.

"Visiting hours are long over. It is required that you leave." I took a defiant step forward.

"I am not leaving. If you didn't hear me the first time, I'm telling you again," I told her, keeping my voice low and calm.

"I don't know who you think you are, young lady, but you are certainly not going to disobey the hospital rules just because you think you can."

"Look lady!" I yelled, pointing a finger at her squat form. "I've told you two times already and I'm not telling you again! I'm not leaving this place until either I'm dead or Sophie is out of here with me." Casper was standing behind me now, a restraining hand on my arm.

"Calm down," he muttered.

"Don't tell me to calm down," I growled, whirling on him. "You're part of the reason I'm in this whole mess. Just sit down and be quiet." He stepped back but didn't sit; probably afraid I'd hit the lady if he got too far away.

"I don't care if you must be deceased to leave; you are leaving," The nurse sniffed. I bit my tongue to stop a tirade of cussing to leave my mouth, yet it proved to be only mildly helpful.

"My friend is in there _alone_. She is afraid of hospitals. If she woke up by herself with no one she knew she would freak out and I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. Please, I'm asking as someone who has no one but her friends left, let me stay with her," I said quietly, approaching from a new angle. The nurse's eyes softened the smallest amount and I knew she understood why I needed to be with her.

"Alright," she sighed in defeat. "But you can only stay in her room. I'll be by in the morning to check up on her." A grateful grin spread across my face.

"Thankyou," I whispered, moving for her room. Casper followed after and when I slipped into the dor, he caught my arm and kissed my cheek gently. I didn't need him to say what it meant. Slowly, I pulled a slightly cushioned chair over to my friend's bedside. She looked small and tired, let alone sick. I didn't look at her. If I did I knew I would cry. So I focused my eyes on my fingers. In a matter of seconds, my head was resting on the edge of the bed and I was asleep.

I woke suddenly to the sound of a continuous beep. I knew instantly what it meant and dove for the help button at Sophie's bedside. I was beaten there, though. Doctors and nurses piled through the door, their feet adding to the chaotic sound of the flatline. A doctor grabbed my arm, hauling me away out of the room.

"No!" I screamed, trying to push back in. "I'm not leaving her!"

"There's nothing you can do," he said calmly. I looked at him. And nodded, stepping out of the room. He gave me a tired smile, one that showed he dealt with deaths every day. The door was shut in my face and sobs erupted from my chest as the flatline echoed in my ears. Sinking down against the wall, I rest my head on my knees and wrapped my arms around my legs. I could still hear it. That consistent high-pitched shriek that told me my friend was dying. Clamping my hands over my ears, I grit my teeth together in pain. I needed to be with her. Without a second thought, I stood, shoved open the door and burst into the room. The doctor who'd gotten me out before whipped around.

"Get her out!" He roared, momentarily unblocking my view of Soph's body. She was as pale as a sheet of paper. Her hands lay limply at her sides like a rag doll. Her chest was still, apart from the shock the doctors gave her to revive her heartbeat. The heart monitor was still wailing insistently like a child who was being ignored.

"Ashli!" Someone shouted my name. It wasn't from anyone in the room. I stepped back out into the hallway, reluctant to leave my passing friend, but compelled by some unknown force. Turning towards the elevators, I stared in horror as the doors slid open and blood spilled out like a morbid waterfall. The white walls and floors turned red as the red river gushed towards me.

"Ashli!" My shoulder was being shaken violently as the blood swirled around my knees. "Wake up!" Wake up?

"I think she's having a very good dream," someone laughed. Since when was Sophie alive? I looked back towards the door of her room. It was now firmly shut, replaced by a door number ?, a set of keys hanging from the opened lock. My hand reached out to turn to door handle, but I knew I shouldn't. What would there be that could hurt me? I gripped the handle firmly and turned. The door swung open and a scream sounded from –

A sharp slap to my cheek caused my dream to fade as my eyes flew open. I sat bolt upright, gasping for air to fuel another scream. Hurriedly, I shut my mouth.

"My god, are you okay?" Casper stood over me, looking amused yet worried. I whipped my head to the side, looking towards Sophie's bed and saw her sitting up, gazing at me with furrowed eyebrows.

"Sophie!" I screamed, jumping off the other bed in the room and rushing over to her. Wrapping my arms around her, I gave her possible the biggest hug I could manage.

"Ashli, you're…killing…me," she gasped, patting my back awkwardly.

"Oh! Sorry!" I exclaimed, rocking back on my heels and settling on the end of her bed.

"What happened? You had some sort of fit," Casper asked, coming over and sitting in the chair I'd occupied the night before.

"I had the fucking worst dream ever," I told them, rubbing my forehead.

"What was it about? You were crying and screaming and everything," Sophie said, sounding concerned, despite the fact that _she_ was the one in hospital.

"I dreamed…I dreamed that you died and – and it was like The Shining. There was the door with the key and the blood coming from the elevators and the doctors wouldn't let me see you. It was just…terrible," I exclaimed.

"So that explains the crying and screaming then," Casper sighed.

"Did I scare you?" I asked timidly. Sophie looked thoughtful.

"Considering I though you were about to drop dead, no. I wasn't scared at all. Though you _did_ wake me up," she said with heavy sarcasm. Casper laughed.

"I had to move you from the chair to this spare bed; I thought you were going to fall out of it," he grinned, jerking a thumb over his shoulder.

"I'm really sorry, I – "

"My Bella!" Michelle came running in the door, her face stricken.

"Mum?" Sophie sounded confused and a little shocked.

"I got Ashli's message and Dennis and I came as quickly as we could," she explained. As if on cue, Dennis strode in the door, offering his moronic smile.

"G'day Knob," he greeted her. Casper shot me a 'Who the hell is this?' look and I shuffled off the bed, patting his hand as if to say 'It's okay. He's not dangerous'.

"Hey, let's give them some space," I whispered to Casper, moving for the door. He followed after, looking afraid when Dennis gave him a threatening face. When we were down next to the elevators, he glanced behind him before speaking.

"What is _with_ Sophie's dad? He's scary," Casper whispered.

"I heard that!" Dennis yelled, his voice bouncing off the walls. Casper jumped and smashed the button with his fist. I laughed at him when the doors opened and he dived into the elevator. I took my time, purposely going slowly so he could get more and more agitated. After a few seconds, he grabbed my arm and hauled me in with him. Stumbling, I fell against him, forcing him up to the wall. My chest was pressed up with his, my eyes level with his chin. I lowered my head and stepped away, clenching my hands behind my back. An awkward silence radiated around us and I wrinkled my nose with annoyance, reaching out and pressing the button for the ground floor.

"You can still be close to me, you know," Casper whispered, trying to grab my eye contact. I glanced up to see his electric blue eyes boring into mine.

"I know. But it doesn't feel right now," I replied, just as quietly.

"Now? When will it ever feel right, Ashli?" The sudden anger and force in his voice shocked me.

"I don't – I don't think it ever will while I'm still with Andy. It feels like I'm a traitor." He snorted with contempt.

"Do you remember what he did to you?" Casper shouted. I shrank back against the opposite wall.

"I remember. But that was because of Rianna. He – "

"He _cheated on you_, Ashli. You forgave him even though he cheated on you."

"I forgave him because I needed to," I hissed. "And stop being so bloody prejudiced about it! You know as well as I do that you don't like Andy because of me!" Casper's lips were pressed together so tight that they were white.

"That's not true," he whispered. "You know that's not – "

"It _is_ true! Stop pretending that you are the good one in this whole fucking situation!" I shouted as we hit the ground floor. I stormed out of the elevator and past the reception desk. Casper followed after me.

"Do you see Andy here? I'm here for you, he's not! I bothered to come for you to prove to you that I'm the one you should be with!" He yelled, grabbing me arm and spinning me around. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"So you lied to me," I whispered. He looked confused at first but then looked horrified. "How can you say that you're better than Andy when you've been lying to me?" His jaw fell down a little.

"I'm not lying to you, I swear. I just – "

"Fucking save it! You were the only person I thought I could trust. The only person who I thought knew what I was going through! I don't want to see you again! Get out of here," I shouted, putting both my hands on his shoulders and shoving him away roughly. He stumbled, nearly tripped, but didn't break my eye contact. When he didn't move I became angry.

"Get out!" I screamed, shoving him again towards the door. He ran his tongue over his top lip before turning his back to me and walking right out the glass sliding doors. I watched after him and gulped down the lump that had formed in my throat, running my hand across my forehead. I wasn't going to cry; I dug my nails into my palm to stop myself. Slowly, I turned back for the elevators and noticed for the first time that the receptionist was staring at me fearfully.

"Can you believe," I said. "That I used to love him?"

* * *

**AN:** Okaay so straight into it!

The Milkybars Are On Me – Max Wilkinson & The Sunny Side Up (its an awesome song!)

Heart-Shaped Box – Nirvana (my favourite song atm)

SO thankyou all for reading another chapter ^^


	24. Chapter 24

**AN: **Amazing (well, I think so) chapter here ^^ I hope you all like it! I've decided that everytime I put up another chapter I'll just reply to your reviews as well. So:-

Tkoverload: AWESOME review again! It's like Twilight now...Team Casper and Team Edward. But not as weird...Im going to try get Jumpnow in there somehow…ill try. I promise.

Blaze: Thankyou so much. And by the way, if my friend kills me, there will be no more Hush Hush. D: I'll try to get a Bradie story up for you…but I kinda doubt it atm : / I promise that i'll try.

CommeParMagie: don't get upset I don't like it when people get upset from my story ^^

Bradie webb's no 1. Girl: thankyou! I'm glad that you see what Ashli is saying…

**Honeybee and Munchkin**

As I slowly went back up to Sophie's room, I frustratedly wiped away the one or two tears that had leaked out of my eyes. I hated it when I cried over boys; it happened a lot those days, though. Michelle and Dennis were just coming out of the door as I got back, looking happy.

"What's going on?" I asked, injecting tonnes of false happiness into my voice.

"My Bella is allowed to come home today. We just spoke to the doctor," Michelle replied, beaming at me. Her smile was infectious and I grinned.

"That's so good! I'm sure she'll be happy to come home," I said. Dennis looked even moderately joyous. Michelle excused herself to go to the bathroom and I narrowed my eyes at Dennis accusingly.

"You were scared for Sophie, weren't you?" I interrogated, crossing my arms. He shifted uncomfortably.

"I…uh…she just – "

"It's okay, Dennis," I said. "Your secret is safe with me." As I walked past him down the hall, I pat his arm condescendingly. That was the first and most likely last time that would ever happen, so I savoured the moment while it lasted.

Two days later, and Sophie, Lauren and I were gathered in Sophie's lounge room, flicking through the Foxtel channels and scrolling through Twitter. While an add break came on in the show we were watching, the words Short Stack flashed up on the screen and footage from their last concert played. The screen changed and it showed Short Stack being interviewed on channel [V], Billy the presenter smiling.

"_And today I am here with Short Stack, the three piece band from Budgewoi. Boys, tell me about your upcoming tour,_" Billy said. Shaun lifted the microphone to his lips and I saw Lauren's eyes begin to water.

"_Well, because all of our shows recently have been sold out, we decided to put on another tour, Stack Is The New Black Two_," he said.

"_When is this tour going to happen?" _This time Andy spoke and I could feel tears welling in my eyes.

"_It's gonna happen a little later on this year while we start working on our new album_," Andy grinned.

"_Well I'm sure the fans will start grabbing their tickets soon enough. Do you have an idea of what band is going to support you_?" Billy asked.

"_We want Hush Hush to support us again, they were amazing and the crowd loved them_," Bradie said. Our mouths dropped open.

"_Oh, these were the love interests, were they not?"_ Billy quipped. Shaun, Andy and Bradie laughed. _"Do the girls know they are supporting you again?"_ Shaun looked thoughtful.

"_Not yet, but we plan on telling them very soon," _he declared. Billy laughed and continued talking about the album. Every word went straight over my head.

"We…WE'RE SUPPORTING SHORT STACK!" I screamed, jumping to my feet and pulling Lauren with me. Our shouts and exclamations of joy echoed through the house and I was thankful Dennis and Michelle weren't home.

"OHMYGOD! I can't believe this!" Sophie exclaimed, falling back onto the couch with tears in her eyes.

"Don't cry," Lauren said firmly. "You'll just look like a sulk."

"Does it matter? We get to see them again!" I grinned, stretching out on the carpet. Nothing could've made me happier at that moment.

ONE MONTH LATER.

"Get UP! We are going to work and you are going to hurry your little ass up before I make you get up!" I shouted at Sophie, yanking the doona cover off her. She moaned and pulled her pillow over her head. "GET UP!"

"Alright! Alright! I'm up!"

"Well it doesn't look like it," I muttered. Sophie sat up and swung her legs over the side of her bed.

"Why do you do this to me?" She groaned, putting her head in her hands and massaging her temples.

"Because you earn _money_ and _money_ is what you need to live," I replied, throwing her grey skinny jeans from the day before at her. She let them hit her, the legs wrapping around her shoulders before sagging to the bed.

"Actually," she corrected. "Food is what you need to live." I rolled my eyes and sighed exasperatedly.

"Well you need money to buy food, now don't you?"

"No. You can just go dumpster diving," she retorted.

"That's not the point. So hurry up before I hit you." Needless to say, she got up quite quickly.

The drive to Fountain Gate shopping centre was quiet. Mainly because Sophie was asleep in the passenger seat while I drove. When we got to the shopping centre rooftop car park outside the cinemas, I was careful not to make any noise as I grabbed my bag from the back seat and stepped out of the car. Taking the keys with me, I locked the car and continued across the car park. Without Sophie. Who was still sleeping in the car. I made my way up to the sliding glass doors that let me into the shopping centre. I worked at Jay Jays with Sophie and Lauren and practically everything I wore was from there. Staff discounts truly were amazing. As I stepped onto the escalator outside the Village Cinemas, I noticed a whole lot of young teens staring at me in awe.

"She's Ashli! From Hush Hush!" One girl exclaimed to her friend, pointing at me. I smiled at them and watched as they waved back excitedly. It was the first time I'd come to the shopping centre without sunnies or a hat and it was proving to be a rather good experience. As I got to the bottom of the escalator, I watched as heads turned to either gape at me or sneer at me. The sneering mostly came from sluts who obviously knew who I was. Finally, I made it up to Jay Jays, waving to Casey who worked at the Wendy's ice cream place across from me. James, the seemingly gay guy who worked with me, swept me up in a hug.

"Oh darling, I've missed you so _much_!" He cried, holding me at arms length. There were tears misting over his eyes and I felt my own eyes grow a little bit wet.

"Please don't cry," I smiled. "You know how infectious it is." James laughed his flamboyant, loud laugh and wiped at his eyes.

"I'm sorry honey, I'll stop." I gave him a little peck on the cheek and went over to the counter, stowing my messenger bag in a little cupboard.

"What's there to be done?" I asked, pinning my ID tag to my t-shirt.

"Well we've got a few boxes of new shirts to unpack but Sophie can help you with that later," James replied, putting a jacket back up on a hanger.

"Why can't you do it?" I laughed. James looked shocked.

"Do you _want_ me to ruin my nails?" I laughed again and watched as he winked at me. There were one or two customers in the store and one of them came up to the counter with a hoodie and a pair of black skinnys. This guy looked about fifteen with shaggy brown hair and brown eyes.

"Hi," I greeted. "What can I do for you?"

"I uh…just want these," he stammered, putting the hoodie and jeans on the counter in front of me.

"Sure." I scanned the items and put them in a bag. "That's twenty two fifty." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, producing twenty-three dollars. I gave him his change and handed over the bag. He smiled a little and turned to walk out of the shop where I saw his friends waiting. After a second, he stopped, turned and came back to the counter.

"Can I get a photo with you?" He asked, seemingly confident now.

"Uh sure…what for though?"

"I love your band," he said quietly, and I knew his friends didn't know of this. I smiled widely.

"Of course. Do you have a phone or anything?" He nodded and pulled his phone from his other pocket, handing it to me. I got James to take the photo of us and the boy looked incredibly grateful.

"Also, would you be able to like, kiss my cheek and take a photo?" He asked, embarrassed. I laughed and nodded.

"Sure." So, bending down, I pressed my lips to his cheek and waited for the camera to flash. Once the photo was taken, the boy smiled at me.

"Thanks," he said, taking the phone back from James.

"No problems, honey," I told him. As he walked out of the shop, his friends gathered around him and – most likely – stared in awe at the photos. James laughed and hugged me again.

"The Honey-Bee I knew four months ago would never have done that," he sighed. I smiled at his nickname for me.

"I love my fans. What can I say?" There was a patter of feet on the floor and I looked up as James pulled away. Sophie was standing in the entrance, looking furious.

"Morning, darling," James trilled, grabbing her into a hug.

"Hi James," Sophie smiled. Then, as they broke apart, she glared at me icily.

"Nice sleep?" I asked simply. She huffed and came over to the counter, putting her bag in the cupboard next to mine.

"I hate you."

"Now now, Munchkin, we don't like those words here," James said sternly. Sophie, too, grinned at her nickname and grabbed her ID tag from the stand.

"Where's Lauren?" Sophie asked, going over to a table full of t-shirts and neatening them up.

"She's rostered off today," I replied, checking the timetable under the counter.

"Well that sucks," Sophie said. "I'm getting a bit sick of you." From her bout of laughter, I knew she was joking…partly.

During our lunch break, Soph and I went down to the food court. With a piece of margherita pizza each, we found a spare table and sat down, devouring our food in an instant. I heard Sophie's phone ring out a tinny version of 'I Like That' and she pulled it out of her bag. Her eyes lit up at the Caller ID like they always did when Bradie called.

"Hello?…Hi, Bradie…I'm good, how are you?…Yeah?…Oh my god! Really?…Of course, I'll tell her," Sophie said. "We're going to Sydney!" She exclaimed. My heart sped up rapidly and excitement burst through my chest.

"I knew it," I laughed, smiling from ear to ear. Sophie grinned.

"Yeah, she's excited…Does Andy want to talk to her?…Oh, okay…Well I'll talk to you later…Bye." She hung up, a now fake smile pressed onto her lips.

"What's wrong?" I asked, still smiling.

"It's okay, don't worry about it."

"Tell me." The smile slipped from my face and I frowned at her. Sophie sighed and rubbed her eyes, smearing her eyeliner a little. The scar on her forehead from the almost-fatal-rapists (who were in jail at that point) was pink and on the way to healing, yet it wrinkled with every expression she made.

"Andy was out with Rianna," she told me. My blood froze and a lump formed in my throat.

"What?" I choked out.

"They were just down the street, nothing serious," Sophie amended, looking like she was angry with herself.

"Oh…okay," I said quietly. There was silence.

"Come on," Sophie sighed. "James will be pissed if he has to unpack the boxes."

"I can't believe we are leaving _again_ tomorrow," Lauren sighed, kicking her suitcase out of the way with her foot.

"Me either," I chipped in, shoving the last of my t-shirts into my own suitcase. Living with Sophie had its advantages. It meant I didn't have to go home and re-pack all of my clothes and I didn't have to drive there everyday to pick her up for work.

"Well I am now able to get away from Dennis for a few weeks…well, months," Sophie smiled, putting a stack of jeans into her case. I heaved a breath of relief as I finished my packing.

"Can you go through that checklist?" I asked Lauren, pointing to the sheet of paper on the floor. Lauren scooped it up and cleared her throat.

"Jeans?" She read.

"Got it."

"T-shirts?"  
"Got it."

"Jackets?"

"Got it."

"Toiletries?"

"Mhhm."

"Hair straightener?"

"Got it."

"Other hair shit?"

"Got it," I laughed.

"Underwear?"

"Yep."

"Socks?"

"Yes."

"Shoes?"

"Got it."

"Make up?"

"Yes."

"Chargers, phone, iPod and notebook?"

"Yes, yes, yes and yes."

"Then you're all good." I grinned.

"I'm good to go then. Whereas you," I pointed to Sophie, "are not." She rolled her eyes at me and shoved her phone charger into her case.

"I _would_ be ready if it weren't for your nagging," she huffed. I laughed.

"What nagging?"

"You know: 'Where are my clothes?' 'Where did you put my phone charger?'" Sophie mimicked, pulling a ridiculous face.

"That's not what I sound like," I sniffed.

"It is, I'm sorry," Lauren commented. I sneered like I used to when they both ganged up on me.

"Whatever."

Six in the morning and driving to the airport with two people sleeping in the car is not fun. Trust me. The radio in Sophie's car was cranked up loud as I played Classic Rock 91.5 on the radio. 'Angel in the centrefold' was playing and I sang along, warming up my voice for the day. Even when 'Jessie's Girl' came on, Lauren didn't stir, despite the fact that we both loved to sing with Rick Springfield. When we got to the airport, I was tempted to leave them both in the car, but then decided they would murder me if I did. So I beeped the horn until they woke. Once they had woken and we'd gotten our suitcases and ourselves into the airport, we went to the baggage area where we deposited our luggage. Once that was done and we'd validated our tickets, Sophie and Lauren practically dragged me to the waiting area so they could sit down again. After half an hour of waiting, we finally boarded the plane and settled in our seats. Even before we'd taken off, Sophie and Lauren were asleep. I sighed and stared out the little window down to the tarmac. I loved doing just that; watching all the men run around the aeroplane looking like little ants. Even before I could stop myself, my eyes closed and sleep overtook my body.

Another three or so hours later, I was woken to Lauren shaking me violently.

"Get _up_!" She exclaimed. My eyes peeled open and I jumped. We had landed in Sydney. Hurriedly, I followed Sophie and Lauren off the plane, my messenger bag bumping agitatedly against my hip as I bounced on the spot, waiting for my suitcase. When I saw it come round, I grabbed it from the belt and went to follow them once more. It seemed I was lagging behind the whole time, nerves weighing my feet down. The bottle of water I'd taken from the plane was clenched in my fingers and I shakily unscrewed the cap to take a gulp while we waited for Shaun, Andy and Bradie. As I lifted the bottle to my lips, my stomach turned over. The boys were walking towards us. That wasn't what made the sickness swoop through my body. A girl was clutching Andy's hand, her blonde-tipped brown hair pulled up into a high, cute ponytail. She lifted her head and my fingers went loose, the bottle of water dropping to the floor. It made a small crash as it hit the tiles and the water flooded from the opening, spreading across the floor. Rianna smiled sweetly at me and it made my stomach clench violently. Andy though, seemed completely oblivious. The water soaked into my Converse and I felt it seeping into my socks. I didn't care though. I took a step backwards and my foot caught on my suitcase, making me stumble. Andy reached out to grab my arm but I ducked away, tripping to the ground.

"Oh my god!" Rianna exclaimed. "Are you okay, honey?" She reached down to help me, her pink nailed hand stretched down to me. Angrily, I smacked her hand away harshly. She shrunk back, hurt, and took Andy's hand again.

"Don't," I growled. "Call me honey." Rianna stammered, looking across to Andy for help.

"It's okay, Ri," Andy whispered. He looked down at me, his own hand extended out to me. Turning my head, I saw Lauren and Sophie standing with Shaun and Andy, all of them looking down at me with worry creasing their brows. "Do you need some help?" Andy asked quietly. Hatred and depression swirled inside of me as a knot of sadness formed in my stomach. Pure venom simmered on my tongue and I felt a furious tear snake down my cheek.

"You backstabbing bastard. Go to hell," I spat. And I'd never said those words with such repulsion or loathing as I had then. Because I had to face it. Andy had a new girlfriend; Rianna.

* * *

**AN:** Okey-dokey so, this review I'll just recommend a song for y'all.

Knives and Pens – Black Veil Brides. Andy Sixx is so friggin hott btw. So if anyone wants someone to obsess over, Andy Sixx is your guy.

**TWITTER:**

Well I do have a twitter : O so if you want me to follow you then just send me your twitter name and I'll follow you. If you want to follow me then mine is:-

ashli_x_O (YES my name is Ashli : D )

And my gorgeous friend would like some more followers so if you are feeling generous then you can follow her (it's not compulsory btw)

louiseRAWR is hers.

You can follow me for updates on how my story is going and just some random stuff if you like all that ^.^ AND also, you can tweet me ideas and suggestions for my story or just to tell me how you think it's going.

THANKS x byebye


	25. Chapter 25

**AN: **For reasons I'm not going to discuss I am changing Rianna to the name Jada. Please excuse me if you still find the name Rianna in this and the rest of the chapters. I can't find every single one and I can forget. (: I hope no one is too thrown off by this change.

For this chapter I'm hoping to get to 100 reviews! So thankyou to anyone who reviews.

And a note to those people reading my story to snitch; please don't. I write so people can read about something they love and because I love to write. Don't turn this into something it's not. I really don't mean this is in an angry or mean way. I'm simply just saying. Thankyou, I appreciate it.

**SenseOfPretend**: I totally agree with you. Hahaha

**Melfletcherr**: its okay, don't worry about it! I appreciate your reviews no matter how late they are.

**Tahlia**: Rianna (Jada, as she is now) isn't based on anyone. In fact, none of my characters are based on real people apart from Short Stack themselves.

**Rhonna:** Thankyou lovely. Lol. Short, sharp and sweet, hey?

**Love Like Woe – The Ready Set**

My heart was in my throat. Everything felt like it had come tumbling down on me and I was crushed by some unknown force. Maybe it was heartbreak? Andy was still staring dumbly down at me, his arm back at his side. The water had spread around me and I was now sitting in the middle of a puddle, liquid soaking my jeans and legs.

"Ashli," Andy whispered, hurt. "Please don't say that. I – "

"Shut up. Shut up!" I screamed, scrambling to my feet. "You don't know anything!" Jada was now seemingly afraid, cowering behind Andy, stretching out to take his hand. Just as she did, I turned my red-hot glare to her.

"You've ruined my life, I hate you. I hate you!" I screamed, stepping towards her. Andy, now looking fierce, blocked my path, putting a hand on my shoulder. I grabbed his wrist and clenched my fingers around it, throwing it off my shoulder. I didn't care when he winced in pain; my nails had bit into his skin.

"Don't touch her," he growled. My stomach heaved again, making me feel like I was about to be sick. He was so close to me that I could feel the head radiating from his body. It was like I didn't know who he was anymore. He was a stranger to me.

"How could you…?" I whispered, too low for anyone else to hear. Slight pain crossed his eyes but it was gone in an instant, being replaced by a protective glow. Andy opened his mouth, those perfect lips so close but too far away. He was about to say something comforting, caring.

"Get away." Disappointment and torment thundered through my body and my breath caught in my throat. Tears spilled over my cheeks without warning, cutting a path through my thin layer of foundation. "I don't want to see you until you say sorry to Jay," Andy commanded. "So unless you're going to apologise, leave."

"How can you do this? Why are you doing this to me? What the fuck have I done wrong to – " My shouts were cut off by a sharp shove. Andy was angry. Very angry. I saw the hate burning in his eyes. And he'd pushed me. Hit me. My eyes wandered glassily over to Sophie and Lauren who were both staring at the floor. Then they went back to Andy. He was still staring furiously at me, hands intertwined with Jada's. My stomach coiled, sprung. And I pushed past him roughly, running for the bathroom. I found one in an instant, pushing my way inside and falling down next to a toilet. My stomach emptied itself, leaving the depression and hate behind. Tears streamed down my face with every thought and memory that pulsed through my brain. The bathroom was empty, thank god, so I was free to wash my mouth out in peace. Looking at myself in the mirror, I saw the distraught in my eyes and the way my mouth was turned down. Not bearing to look at myself any longer, I fell into the corner. I sobbed. Bawled. Howled, my throat burning with every sob that wretched out of it. After a minute or two, the door opened and Sophie and Lauren walked in, looking shocked at my state. What would you think if you best friend was huddled in a corner, crying so hard that shrieks filled the room. I bet you'd be pretty scared. But my friends didn't move backwards. No, they moved towards me, kneeling in front of me and pulling me into them. I clung to them, realising that they were the only two things I had left on the earth. They made soothing noises, trying to calm me down. But it didn't work. My distress and agony had overtaken my body with such force that I couldn't stop it; couldn't stop crying. After five minutes of my uncontrollable crying, Lauren stroked my hair and pulled away from me. She winced visibly but I didn't care.

"Ashli, listen to me," she whispered. I met her eyes. "You don't need Andy, okay? Jada is a cow and Andy is a dickhead. That's just the way everything is."

"But I-I n-need hi-him," I sobbed.

"No you don't. If he makes you cry like this then you don't need him. He obviously doesn't understand how special you are, honey," Sophie said firmly.

"Then w-why is he w-with J-Jada?"

"Because he is an idiot," Lauren scowled.

"Don't s-say that, he's n-not," I sobbed. Sophie rubbed her temples.

"Ashli, yes he is," she growled impatiently.

"Ok-okay." I didn't want to lose anyone else, so I decided that just agreeing with anything she said was the best way to go.

"Now come on," Lauren whispered. "We've got to get going and you can't spend your whole life in the bathroom." I cracked a small smile and let her help me up. Hurriedly, I splashed some water over my face and wiped away all my make up and tears. When I looked relatively presentable, I followed Lauren and Sophie out of the bathroom, gripping Lauren's hand tight. The small group of our friends turned when we got back yet Andy looked angry still.

"Are you going to apologise yet?" He asked, hostile. A sharp crack filled the air around us and I jumped back. I hadn't even seen Sophie move. Andy was stunned, his jaw dropping close to the floor. A bright red hand mark was splashed against his cheek and Sophie was standing in front of him, looking murderous.

"Shut up!" My friend spat, her hand raised threateningly. Andy seemed to recover quickly and his own face contorted with anger.

"If she hasn't apologised to Jay then she isn't welcome here," he snapped.

"Shut the fuck up!" Sophie shouted, shoving him backwards. "Don't you get it?"

"Of course I get it," Andy hissed. "But obviously _she_ doesn't." He jabbed a finger at me and I shrank into Lauren's side. She rubbed my back comfortingly.

"_Ashli_ hasn't done anything wrong! You've cheated on her and you had no bloody right to!" Sophie exclaimed, shoving him again. Bradie and Shaun were standing to the side, looking somewhat excited yet hesitant. Jada was cowering behind Andy again, her cheeks flushed.

"She attacked my girlfriend, that means she's done everything wrong." Fury bubbled up inside of me and I disentangled myself from Lauren, stepping forward. My hand came up and slapped his cheek with such force that his head was knocked to the side and he staggered backwards.

"Ah Ashli," he sighed after he had recovered, looking down at me with his eyes narrowed slightly. "Always feisty. No wonder I cheated on you." I couldn't win. I just couldn't. My stomach had some sort of immense pain spreading through it, making me feel light headed and sick. The last thing I remembered was Bradie stepping forward, his arms out to catch me.

My eyes peeled open an hour later to the sound of voices floating in and out of my head. After a few seconds, I tapped the heel of my hand against the side of my head, trying to clear the muddy soup that had become of my brain. There was a chuckle from beside me and I sat bolt upright. A guy wearing a purple hoodie was sitting across from me. Jumpnow.

"Uh hi," I said, raising one hand and waving it awkwardly. He smiled back and extended a hand.

"Shaun Jennings. A.K.A Jumpnow," he told me, as I shook his hand.

"I know who you are," I replied. "Not in a creepy way or anything." He laughed loudly, throwing his head back.

"I'm in all the Short Stack TV episodes; of course you know who I am." A smile spread across my lips, albeit a timid one, and I knew he and I would be good friends.

"So, where am I?" I asked, rubbing sleep out of my eyes.

"You're in a hotel room," he said matter-of-factly.

"In Sydney."

"Yes, in Sydney." My chest felt like it had a dead weight pressing down on it and an awful knot of loneliness and despair was wound into my stomach. I hadn't felt as bad as that since my parents had first sent me into depression. I had a feeling that's what this was. Depression. Again. A heavy sigh escaped my lips and I settled back on the couch that I'd woken up on, crossing my legs.

"Honey, you're awake!" I heard Lauren exclaim, rushing to my side and sweeping me into a hug. "I was worried you'd be asleep for the next year or two. You've been out for five hours. It's three in the afternoon." I gave her a reassuring smile as she pulled away.

"Are you okay?" Sophie asked tentatively, taking Lauren's place. I shrank away from her words.

"I will be if we don't talk about it," I replied quietly.

"Okay," Sophie said, nodding. "Bradie has some stuff for you, by the way." A smiling Bradie replaced my friend, his arms laden with gaming consoles.

"Bradie," I laughed. "I'm not in hospital."

"I know," he replied sheepishly. "But I wanted to take your mind off it. So I found every single portable game and console I had and brought it for you. I have more at home," he told me proudly, setting the four items on the coffee table in front of me. There was a DS, PSP, Gameboy and iPod Touch, plus a few games.

"Thanks, sweetie," I smiled, reaching up to give him a hug. While I was in his arms, he whispered in my ear,

"I'm sorry Andy is such a dickhead. I know deep down that he still loves you, he just needs that Jada girl to be obliterated." I giggled and kissed his cheek, despite the fact that everyone was watching – Sophie included.

"Thankyou," I whispered back. He nodded and stepped away, joining Sophie's side. Suddenly, the door burst open and Shaun staggered in, carrying a coffee cup.

"Oh HEAVENS ABOVE! The traffic was so bloody heavy! You'd think that ridiculously archaic fossil sitting in the car in front was _trying_ to piss me off! I mean really! What kind of prehistoric antique like _that_ would be allowed to have a permit to drive when they can barely even see past their bloody nose?" He stopped his exasperated and furious rant to see everyone staring at him. "Oh, Ashli's awake." A toothy grin lit his face. "How you doing?"

"I'm doing okay."

"Just okay?" I nodded. "Well then this may cheer you up!" Shaun produced a plastic bag from behind his back. He strode over to me and plonked himself down on the couch cushion next to me. From the bag he pulled a six-pack of V energy drink, two jumbo packets of Skittles and three jumbo Toblerones. A smile spread across my face and threw my arms around him.

"Thankyou so much, Shaun!" I exclaimed, pulling back. His grin turned devious.

"I also picked up a few DVDs," he said, reaching into the bag a fourth time. From the plastic he uncovered 'The Shining', 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' and 'Mean Girls'. I laughed genuinely and smiled again.

"Thankyou so much – all of you," I said sincerely. "Now, who wants to watch movies?" Everyone 'whooped!' and settled around the lounge.

"Which one do we watch first?" Bradie asked, holding the three movies in his hands.

"Mean Girls!" Shaun cried with an excessive amount of delight.

"And you're definitely _not_ gay," Jumpnow muttered, standing up and going into the kitchen for a drink. Shaun pouted and crossed his arms over his chest. I giggled and ruffled his hair.

"Naww, baby," I crooned. "We all know you're – Queen!" Shaun's jaw dropped open and I laughed. 'We Will Rock You' was playing on MTV Classic. Bradie, Sophie and Lauren were in hysterics, clutching their stomachs.

"No no no!" I laughed. "I don't mean you're gay! It's just that Queen was on TV." The boy next to me sniffed and pulled his eyebrows together. He mumbled something incoherent but pulled me into a side-hug so I was nestled up beside him. I saw Lauren shoot a glance at us and Shaun put his arms around me in a brotherly way.

"It's okay, babe," he said to Lauren. "I'm still yours." She smiled slightly but looked increasingly uncomfortable. My forehead creased with discomfort but I didn't move in fear of hurting Shaun's feelings. Bradie put the DVD into the player and settled back on the floor next to Sophie. After a few adds, the movie began to play and Jumpnow returned, flicking off the lights on his way back.

Once Mean Girls and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, the cans of V and most of the Skittles were finished, everyone paused for a bathroom break. As I strode into the kitchen, I heard the front door of the hotel room open and close with a squeak. Shaun, who was just about to walk over to the fridge, stopped in his tracks. There was a giggle from the other side of the wall and my blood boiled and froze simultaneously. I felt Sophie's hand on my arm, restraining and comforting me at the same time. My eyes slowly closed and I took a deep breath before reopening them again. When I could see again, I saw Shaun standing in the doorway with Lauren, looking more than uncomfortable. But beyond them, I saw two figures that made my stomach drop in horror. Andy and Jada stood in front of the couch, making conversation with Lauren and Shaun like there was nothing wrong. I spun to look at Sophie, my eyes wide with terror.

"I can't go out there," I whispered to her, my voice shaking.

"Yes you can," she said softly. I shook my head fiercely. "If you show you're over him then he won't care. If you show you aren't over him then he'll have ammo to throw at you." I chewed my bottom lip and snatched up two bars of Toblerone from the bench and proudly marched towards the doorway. Gently, I squeezed past Lauren and Shaun, avoiding their eye contact as best I could. When I went to sit on the couch, I saw Jada drop her handbag and jacket down just where I was about to sit. I pursed my lips and set the Toblerones on the table, reaching out and picking up Jada's things, moving them to an armchair.

"Uh, excuse me honey?" Jada's sickly sweet voice filled my ears. I grit my teeth. "Can you please put my things back where they were?" Glancing up, I shot her a venomous look.

"Well I need to sit down. And don't call me honey," I said curtly.

"Well you can sit somewhere else," she snapped. Stopping dead, I met her eyes steadily. Her 'nice girl' façade was let down for a split second, but it was enough for me to see that she was still the evil manipulative cow she'd always been. Everyone was silent now, looking between us both.

"Well maybe I want to sit here." She narrowed her eyes slightly at me. I knew that look anywhere. It meant that I would lose.

"Andy, baby, can you please tell Ashli that I need to sit on the couch because of my bad back?" She implored, putting on a baby voice.

"Give the couch to Jay," Andy ordered, standing up. He didn't even have the nerve to say my name. Slowly, I licked my lips. "She needs it because of her bad back." I stepped away from the couch, not wanting to cause any more trouble, and watched carefully as Jada and Andy took their spots on the couch next to each other.

"Thankyou," Jada smiled, all sugar and honey.

"Yeah yeah, whatever you little liar," I hissed under my breath.

"What was that?" Andy asked, hostile.

"Oh, nothing, just reminding myself of something," I said sweetly, spinning on my heel when I saw Andy glare. Hurriedly, I sauntered back into the kitchen, collapsing against the wall. Sophie put her hand on my shoulder.

"You did good, honey," she said quietly, pulling me into a hug.

"I never want to do that again," I moaned softly.

"You won't have to." After a few more seconds, Sophie re-convinced me to go back and sit in the lounge so we could all watch The Shining. Reluctantly, I followed her in and sat in one of the three armchairs facing the TV. Shaun put The Shining into the DVD player and turned the lights off again. At halfway through the movie, some disturbing noises started to float over from the couch. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jada and Andy well…making out. My blood froze again and I closed my eyes. Until the noise became unbearable. I bounced up from my seat and stepped in front of the TV.

"Can you two stop it?" I hissed. They both broke away and glared at me.

"Just sit down and watch the movie," Andy growled, moving his hand to Jada's waist. My eyes zoned in on his hand and I swallowed heavily. That should've been _my_ waist. Shaking my head to clear it, I glowered at them.

"Well it's kind of difficult to concentrate when all you hear is _this_." I jabbed a hand at them.

"Then maybe you should block your ears."

"Well maybe you should stop and save the slight shred of your dignity that remains!"

"Maybe I don't want to!" Andy shouted, standing and stepping around the coffee table towards me.

"Why are you such a dickhead?"

"I'm not the dickhead, here. You're being completely idiotic about this whole thing!"

"Okay, hold on a second, buddy," I snapped. "I am being the furthest from idiotic you can get. You, on the other hand, are being a complete freaking dickhead with – clearly – no brains!" There was quiet again and someone had paused the movie.

"Why are you so _stupid_?" Andy yelled, throwing his hands up.

"I'm stupid because I thought I loved you! And I cannot believe I ever did," I whispered, shoving him backwards, turning for the door. Before I got to it, I stopped dead in my tracks and turned my body.

"Aren't you leaving?" Jada asked condescendingly.

"Give me a minute, _honey_," I hissed then turned my gaze to Andy. "Did you ever really love me? Or did you just say that to use me?"

"I never did," Andy replied, meeting my steady eye contact.

"Say my name in that sentence." He dropped his gaze and I nodded, disappointed. "I thought so." Facing the door again and I pulled it open gently before ducking out into the hall and slamming it behind me.

Out in the hall, I made a break for the elevators, jamming the button with my fist. Once the doors slid open with a 'ding', I stepped in and searched the floor guide printed on the wall. Checking twice, I pressed the button for the topmost floor and waited as the doors closed and I slowly moved up. The quiet that filled the elevator was deafeningly painful. That knot was still coiled in my stomach, making my legs feel weak and my heart ache with pain. I'd never felt something as terrible as this, and I didn't know how long I'd be able to bear it. Once the elevator got to the top floor, I stepped off with bated breath. It was everything I needed. It was another rooftop meeting area, but there was a large garden in the very middle, next to the elevator. There were large ferns and plants, trees swaying in the incredibly gentle breeze. It was like a mini rainforest. A small voice in the back of my mind wondered just how they'd gotten it up there, but I couldn't dredge up the energy to bother contemplating it. Belatedly, I dragged myself out of the elevator and over to the edge of the rooftop where there was a ledge running around the large perimeter. You'd think they would put a larger fence or wall up so people didn't fall off, but then I guessed they just figured people wouldn't be so stupid as to lean over the edge. I didn't exactly feel like risking my life at that moment – despite what had happened – so I dragged over one of the chairs set around a table and pulled it up to the edge, dropping down heavily. It was getting close to eight o'clock and the sky was darkening rapidly. The air had a bitter chill to it and I hugged my hoodie closer to my body. I could see the opera house from where I was sitting and it looked amazing. The big white arches looked luminous with the lights projecting up onto it made it look like a giant ocean, protruding from the buildings around it. I let my mind wander aimlessly, roaming out to all the infinite corners of my head, and digging up old memories from when I was younger. Some were happy (not many, might I add), some were sad and some were just down right shocking. I'd uncovered some new ones that my brain hadn't been through yet and it made me shudder to remember how much of a troubled child I was. Disgusted, I mentally pushed them away and boxed them back up again. After finding another daunting memory, I blocked off my brain and settled for just staring out over the city. It was exactly nine thirty five when I decided to make my way back down to the room. I damned my pride; it always stopped me from doing things that were probably best for myself. Considering I was getting frostbite. When I reached our door, I was about to lift my hand to knock when Jada burst out, holding her suitcase and bag in the one hand. Andy followed soon after, and I was knocked to the side of the hall, muttering cusses under my breath.

"Jada, babe, please don't go," Andy pleaded, grabbing her free hand. Jada pulled away gently and turned her head to the floor.

"You know I love you," she said. "But I need to be with my sister. She's so upset right now."

"I know," he replied. "But why can't you stay with me, please? I need you." I'd never seen Andy look or sound so _desperate_.

"I can't, my duty lies with my sister," Jada said fiercely. I admired her for a split second. A girl who could say no to Andy when he was doing 'the eyes' must have some will power. After a few more seconds of their slight quarrel, Jada finally got her way and she slowly went to the elevators. As she was about to step into it, Andy jogged to her and kissed her roughly and sweetly. Something I'd known all too well from him. When the doors to her elevator closed, I felt malice bubble up in my body.

"Gee," I remarked. "You were never that upset when I left." Andy turned around, startled, like he hadn't known I was there. He probably hadn't.

"I…I – "

"Don't bother," I snarled. "I know you never really loved me." Remorse flashed through his eyes briefly but I knew it was there.

"Ashli, I – "

"You said my name!" I exclaimed with mock-happiness.

"Are you going to let me speak?" I shrank back against the wall with his outburst but then stood straight again. He took a breath before continuing. "You don't know anything about why I am with Jada. I love her because of who she is and her amazing confidence in herself."

"Okay, why are you telling me this? It isn't going to change my opinion of her. Jada has no place in my Most Loved People list and that isn't going to change anytime soon." With a small step to the side, I pulled open the door and stepped inside, leaving an annoyed looking Andy standing out in the hall.

**AN: **Alrighty then, so here are two songs that I really love right now.

:Love Like Woe by The Ready Set (if you noticed, it was the chapter title). This is my favourite 'modern day' song right now…

:Pour Some Sugar On Me by Def Leppard. It is a REALLY old song but I love it to bits…

Thankyou all for reading another chapter.


	26. Chapter 26

**AN:** I am really really really incredibly ecstatic that I've gotten to 100 reviews.

So, this chapter is for Emxxx who sent me my 100th review! She was also coincidentally the very first person to review/comment this story. Thankyou, honey, so much for all of your amazing reviews and support throughout the 25 (now 26) chapters. I probably wouldn't've continued this if it wasn't for your very first review ^^ haha. So Thankyou so so so so so much.

**CommeParMagie: **Andy is veerrrry unpredictable. And thankyou so much (: I love to read people saying I'm good with the emotions of characters and things. It makes all the writing worthwhile. Thankyou ^^

**Rhonna**: Thankyou so much honey. (:

**Emxxx: **All my thanks is above n_n I changed the name Rianna to Jada. Lol you didn't miss much. Thankyouuu

**Bradie Webb's no.1 girl:** I don't really want to kill off any of the characters XD I've grown attached to them a little. And thankyou so much (:

**ImSpiderman**: OMG. LOL! Wow…that was an amazing review! First off; I'm so happy that you're happy that Jumpnow is in there. I promise ill keep him in there for as long as I can. I wasn't really sure how he acted so I kinda winged it Good to know you approve ^^.

Secondly; All things have an ending ;) 'nuff said.

Thirdly; I guess I just build my characters up, I don't really try make them dislikeable or whatever. If that makes sense O.o haha

Fourthly; LOL Team Casper. I totally agree at this point….And Andy's choice in chicks is a little deranged And you can rant all you want haha. I love reading your reviews coz they are always so long ^^ And THANKYOU! ((((:

**Shaun Jumpnow Jennings**

Everyone was sitting around the lounge, watching MTV. The Hills was on so I was positive Shaun had the remote. Lauren, Sophie and Jumpnow looked terminally bored where Bradie had actually fallen asleep. They all looked up as I walked in and I nodded at them awkwardly before making my way slowly to the room I was somewhat forced to share with Jumpnow. I didn't mind, though. Jumpnow was pretty cool and I knew we'd be good friends. Slowly, I crawled onto my bed by the window and closed my eyes. Even though I'd slept through most of the day, I was so exhausted that I could barely keep my eyes open any longer. My eyelids held open for just enough time for me to see the door open and Andy poke his head in before he quickly withdrew it and shut the door behind him.

I was in a corn maze, the long talk stalks reaching up above my head. The sky was covered in dark grey clouds – the type you get when it's about to bucket down with rain. Peering down at my body, I noticed that I was wearing a short, torn and ragged dress that was stained with rusty looking patches. There was a soft but cold breeze blowing through the maze, producing goose bumps to form on my bare arms. Hugging myself, I stumbled forward on the muddy path under my feet. Stones and small sticks dug into my naked feet and I groaned in pain as they sliced into my flesh. A sudden bloodcurdling scream burst my ears and I shrank to my knees, hands clapping over the sides of my head. It filled my head and seeped into every corner of my body, making it impossible for me to function. After two seconds, it halted completely and I collapsed onto the soil, feeling the cold ooze through the thin material of my dress and dampen my skin. The mud coated my loose hair and I felt droplets of water start to fall on my legs and arms. A split second later, rain started flushing down from the sky, making the ground even muddier than it was. As I lay in the puddles of soaked soil, I heard a steady shuffling move towards me. My limbs froze and my ears pricked, trying to pick up any other sounds. There was the sound of something being dragged along the ground, a grating, wet sound. Hurriedly, I scrambled into the stalks of corn and concealed myself the best I could. The dragging and shuffling got louder and louder until it was right on the path where I had been. A set of legs entered my vision first and then something white. My stomach dropped in terror. It was a girl, clothed in a white linen dress and her long blonde hair streaked with mud and blood. She was dead. I knew it without even looking at her. A strangled cry escape my throat and I immediately clamped a hand over my mouth, my breathing ceased instantly. The legs stopped and turned towards me. They disappeared from view as I closed my eyes with fear. Suddenly, I was being dragged out of the corn. I screamed and thrashed, my eyes flying open. A man stood over me with a pair of wire-rimmed glasses, a moustache and a receding hairline. My scream faltered. He was the murderer from The Lovely Bones. It took a moment for it to all click. I was dreaming. Licking my lips, I pinched myself harshly. But I didn't stir. The man was leering at me, holding a large glinting blade up to my throat. The dead girl was lying next to me, her large blue, lifeless eyes wide open and staring blankly at me. Inflating my lungs, I screamed again and shuffled away from her. The man lowered the knife to my throat and I cried out as it nicked my skin.

He began to shake me violently, his large hand gripping my shoulder. I felt the dream slipping away and reality slowly drift back in. It was like I was dumped back onto my bed suddenly, and I gasped, taking in a large amount of air. My eyes flashed open and I sat bolt upright. Jumpnow jumped away from me, stumbling back against his bed.

"Ashli! What the hell!" He exclaimed, coming back to my side and shaking my shoulder. I blinked and looked up at him with a small smile on my face.

"Sorry, Jumpnow, bad dream."

"I'll say! You were screaming and rolling around so much I thought you were dying!" I laughed, despite the fact that it was 2 in the morning and I was deadly tired. Jumpnow scowled. "Why are you laughing? I was seriously worried about you." Trying to keep the smile off my face, I pulled my legs up and pat the spare space at the end of my bed.

"Take a chill pill, hun," I advised. "I'm not dead, am I?" Jumpnow grinned.

"No, thank goodness." There was a fairly awkward silence and I picked at a loose thread on my hoodie.

"Shaun, do you – "

"Call me Jumpnow," he interrupted politely. "I don't like Shaun."

"Okay, Jumpnow, were you with Andy when he went back to Sydney once the last tour was over?" I asked, not meeting his gaze.

"I picked them up from the airport," he replied.

"Did Andy look…sad?" Jumpnow shot me a reproachful look but I chose to ignore it.

"You're really hung up on this aren't you?" I nodded, ashamed.

"I'll tell you the truth, okay? But so long as you promise to stop moping."

"I promise," I said sincerely, looking him in the eyes. Jumpnow sighed but maintained my eye contact.

"He didn't look too bothered by it. But Jada did prove to be a useful distraction for him. She makes him happy," he explained. Tears welled in my eyes and I buried my face in my hands. A small sob choked out of my lips and I heard Jumpnow sigh infinitesimally.

"What did I say about moping?" He asked gently, crawling over to sit beside me and putting his arms around my shoulders.

"I'm s-sorry," I sniffled. "I just can't get over him that quickly."

"I know, but you're no fun to have around when you're sad," Jumpnow said softly.  
"B-but you don't even know m-me."

"It's a little thing called Short Stack TV," he replied, the smallest of smiles in his voice.

"Okay," I grinned. "You w-wing this one." Jumpnow chuckled and tipped his head to the side, resting it on top of mine. I felt slightly uncomfortable about it but then told myself that it was more of a brotherly gesture than one of affection. After a few minutes, my tears had all dried up and I was about to fall asleep on Jumpnow's shoulder.

"All better now?" He whispered, lifting his head and peering down at me. I nodded and smiled appreciatively. There was a moment of silence and Jumpnow caught my eye contact. He tipped his head forward and I felt myself shrink away. Suddenly, he pulled back, laughing. I frowned, confused.

"Why are you laughing?" I asked, defensive.

"You…you thought I was going to _kiss_ you!" He howled, removing his arms from around me so he could clutch at his stomach.

"Keep it down!" I hissed, slapping his arm. "People are sleeping!" When he didn't stop _or_ quieten, I shoved him off the side of my bed. Needless to say, that shut him up quite effectively. His head popped up from the side of the bed and I giggled at him. Jumpnow's eyebrows were pulled together and his lips were pursed comically.

"That," he sniffed. "Was not funny."

The sunlight filtering through the window splashed onto my face, causing me to open my eyes and be blinded. I moaned and rolled over, facing Jumpnow's bed. I saw he was still asleep and I felt a wave of evil wash over me. Slowly and quietly, I pushed down my covers and swung my feet out of the bed and crept the metre width between our beds. I gripped the edge of his doona and whipped it off him. His eyes flew open and he gasped. I laughed loudly and watched as he curled up into a ball.

"It's cold!" He howled.

"Good!" I giggled.

"Why are you doing this to me?"

"If I'm awake then so are you," I declared, ruffling his hair.

"But it's not fair!" He cried, almost sobbing.

"It is too! Now, come on. It's already eleven o'clock and we're supposed to have band practice today." Jumpnow moaned and pulled his pillow over his head. Scowling, I climbed up onto the end of his bed and jumped, yelling at him in gibberish until he sat up and stumbled out of the bed.

"Thankyou," I said sweetly, smiling at him. He narrowed his eyes but smiled nonetheless, throwing his arm around my shoulders and steering me out the door. We entered the living room and I saw Bradie and Sophie lounging on the couch, sharing a bowl of cereal. Sophie's eyebrows shot up to her hairline when she saw Jumpnow's arm around me, but I shot her a 'it's not what it looks like' glance and she seemed to calm down. Bradie gave me a small smile and I returned it. Jumpnow and I made our way into the kitchen where Shaun was sitting with Andy. I bit my lip and felt Jumpnow's arm drop from my shoulder.

"Morning," Shaun grinned, grabbing his piece of toast from a plate in the middle of the small table.

"Uh…hi," I replied, smiling tightly. Andy was silent; staring down into his cereal like someone had just kicked his dog.

"Did you guys sleep well?" Shaun was looking at us intently, probably trying to lessen the awkwardness.

"Well…at – "

"We slept great," I interrupted, pinching Jumpnow discreetly. He hissed a small 'ouch' but kept quiet. Soon after, Shaun and Andy left, saying something about watching TV. As soon as they were gone, I dropped into the chair that Shaun had just vacated.

"What was _that_ for?" Jumpnow hissed, rubbing the sport where I'd pinched him.

"Don't tell them about my nightmares," I growled.

"Why not?" I sighed.

"Because I've had too many nightmares in the past and…and Andy was always there after them. He…made me feel better afterwards." I felt a blush slowly creep up my neck and Jumpnow chuckled.

"He made you feel better, eh?" There was a suggestive lilt to his voice and it made me blush even more.

"Yes. He was…" I glanced up at Jumpnow and saw his eyebrows raised suggestively like his voice. "Never mind," I mumbled, crossing my arms over my chest. His laughter filled the room and I heard Sophie mumble something about being loud.

"You're so cute when you're pissed," Jumpnow chuckled, sitting down next to me. Narrowing my eyes at him, I could barely contain the grin that threatened to spread across my face. "And you're also cute when you smile." The blush had turned tomato red and I stared down at my shoes, willing for the fiery heat to disappear. Jumpnow chuckled again and put his hand on the back of my neck. It was oddly intimate for someone I'd barely gotten to know but it was the first spark of attraction I'd felt in a long time so I wasn't about to ruin it.

"In fact, you're cute all the time," he whispered, pressing his lips to my cheek. I jumped up and stepped away, holding up my hands.

"Wh-what are you doing?" I gasped, reeling back against the bench. Jumpnow smirked in a knowing way and leant back in his chair.

"Why don't you tell me?" I frowned and shook my head back and forth.

"Jumpnow, we are _friends_. No more, no less," I said firmly.

"You won't want to be just my friend, Ashli. I can tell." And with those words, he stood, turned his back to me and left.

My mind was still spinning half an hour later when we were driving to the studio to rehearse. We and Short Stack had driven in separate vans because we had all of our gear to bring with us, yet there was still barely enough room. Considering we had guitars, amps, a keyboard, which hadn't fit in Short Stack's van and a snare drum. Our gear was spilling into the back where Lauren was sitting and she swore and complained every three seconds. It took five minutes to drive to the studio and by the time we got there, Lauren was beside herself with pissed off-ness. Slowly, with help from the various crew members who were inside the studio, we managed to get everything inside and set up within half an hour. Once we were all ready to rehearse, we decided that Short Stack would start first and they got set up on the small stage set up. They began to run through all of their songs while Sophie, Lauren and I sat in front, watching them. Every song was awesome – as always – until they got to Back Of My Head. I could see the trepidation playing in his eyes as he picked up the microphone. Bradie's fingers skimmed over the keyboard and the beautiful, lilting tune lifted from the amp. Andy began to sing, his voice quiet. My stomach twisted with his words and I closed my eyes for a moment. When I opened them again, I locked eyes with Andy and I knew his song fit what had happened between us perfectly. I stood hastily and turned, walking steadily for the door that led to the foyer. Once I got outside into the fresh air, I took a few deep breaths and leant against the building front. After a second, I heard the door open again and Jumpnow slipped out. He took one glance at me before stepping forward and holding out a hand. Tentatively, I put my fingers over his and let him draw me in. He put his arms around me and rubbed my back.

"No moping, remember, cutie," he whispered. I pulled back.

"Did you just call me Cutie?" I asked, astounded by his forwardness.

"I did," he replied, the smile obvious in his voice.

"Okay, look," I said, stepping away completely and holding up my hands. "I don't know what ideas you have in your head, but I've just been through the worst 'break up' in history and I'm not ready to go and date a whole lot of other guys. I like you, Jumpnow, I really do, alright? But I'm not ready yet." The smile didn't waver from his face.

"I know," he answered. "I'm ready to wait."

"You'll be waiting a long time."

"A guy who isn't going to wait for you is crazy," he said gently. "I'm not crazy."

* * *

**AN: **Okay so for any of you that noticed this chapter was one or two pages shorter than normal. That's because chapter 25 was one or two pages longer than normal.

And I was stumped

OKAY SONGS!

:Walk Like an Egyptian by The Bangles. They are an all girl 80s band which were awesome ^^

:Disturbia by The Cab. This is a cover of Rihanna's song and I think it's reallyyyy awesome. So check it out (:

So thankyou for reading another chapter


	27. Chapter 27

A/N: Woah…Chapter 27 already O.o. The chapters are coming fast, aren't they? I have a theory though: I think they are getting worse and worse as they go on. HAH! Anyway, thankyou to all those who reviewed chapter 25 (:

In a whole four days I got three reviews…I guess that's pretty good. I'd really like more feedback though (: But I'm not going to say "If I do not get five reviews in the next three days there will be no chapter 28" because that is really mean and I don't like it when other people do that…I'm not a hypocrite I guess. In all honesty, I don't actually mind if I don't get a heap of reviews for every single chapter I've put up. So long as I get three or so I'm happy (:

**CommeParMagie: **I'm trying to make the ends of the chapters interesting so people will want to find out what happens in the next one haha

**Imspiderman: **Sorry if you got confused That chapter was kinda terrible, if I do say so myself, because it was just trying to fill in time and it got a little muddled. I promise this one is a little clearer.

**Bradie webb's no.1 girl: **Aww thankyou (:

**I Gotta Be Cool, Relax. Get Hip, Get On My Tracks.**

After another two hours of rehearsing our music, we finally decided that it was time to go and eat. After ten minutes, we all decided on a pizza restaurant on a corner. Inside, the walls were adorned with framed pictures of James Dean and Elvis Presely. Someone had a bit of an obsession. We all slid into a small booth in the corner, Shaun just fitting on the end. Unfortunately, I was in the very middle of the booth so I was squashed between Jumpnow and Andy. Sophie plucked the menu off the glossy wood tabletop and studied it carefully.

"Hah! Did you know they have dessert pizzas?" She asked, jabbing a finger at her menu. Everyone rolled their eyes and muttered rude things, apart from Bradie, who just smiled adoringly at her. I picked up my own laminated sheet of paper and tucked my elbows against my sides, trying to keep them from touching both Andy and Jumpnow. After a few minutes of people debating on which pizza they would have, we just decided we'd order a large margherita and a large barbecue pizza and then split it. A blonde, thin, busty waitress sauntered over a few minutes later, smiling widely at us – mainly the boys.

"Hi guys," she greeted. "Are you ready to order?" Shaun nodded and told her what we wanted, plus all our drinks. The waitress nodded and scribbled it all down on her notepad.

"Will that be all?" she asked.

"Yes, thanks," Andy grinned, dropping his eyelid into a wink. My stomach clenched with anger and I turned away, staring out the window. Once the waitress was gone, chatter started to build up between everyone. I tuned it out, concentrating on the view of the street past Jumpnow's head. It seemed like ages until someone adressed me.

"Ash? Are you still there?" I snapped back to reality with the sound of Lauren's voice. Everyone – apart from Andy – was looking at me with interest.

"Oh…what? I wasn't listening," I mumbled, gnawing my lip.

"What did you want to do after lunch?" Shaun asked, propping his chin in the palm of his hand.

"I don't care," I answered. "Whatever is most popular."

"Well I still say going to the movies," Bradie piped up, launching straight back into the conversation. I tuned it out again and stared at the tabletop. Unconsciously, I noticed I'd started leaning towards Andy, my shoulder now touching his. He didn't move, he didn't say anything. He just looked down at me with no expression registering on his face and returned to the chatter. My heart rate had sped up rapidly and it reminded me of when I'd first met him. Any touch between us had sent me into a whirl. I felt a set of fingers close around my wrist and my heart stopped before I realised they were from the opposite side of my body to Andy. Turning my head, I gazed at Jumpnow.

"You're heart rate is really high, Cutie," he whispered in my ear, stroking the inside of my wrist with his thumb. I resisted the urge to pull away from him but let the smallest smile creep onto my face.

"Don't go getting any ideas, Jumpnow," I replied quietly so no one else could hear. From across the booth, I saw Sophie shoot me a quizzical glance but I just blinked and nodded a little at her, letting her know I had it under control.

After another two hours of rehearsing our music, we finally decided that it was time to go and eat. Ten minutes, we all decided on a pizza restaurant on a corner. Inside, the walls were adorned with framed pictures of James Dean and Elvis Presely. Someone had a bit of an obsession. We all slid into a small booth in the corner, Shaun just fitting on the end. Unfortunately, I was in the very middle of the booth so I was squashed between Jumpnow and Andy. Sophie plucked the menu off the glossy wood tabletop and studied it carefully.

"Hah! Did you know they have dessert pizzas?" She asked, jabbing a finger at her menu. Everyone rolled their eyes and muttered rude things, apart from Bradie, who just smiled adoringly at her. I picked up my own laminated sheet of paper and tucked my elbows against my sides, trying to keep them from touching both Andy and Jumpnow. After a few minutes of people debating on which pizza they would have, we just decided we'd order a large margherita and a large barbecue pizza and then split it. A blonde, thin, busty waitress sauntered over a few minutes later, smiling widely at us – mainly the boys.

"Hi guys," she greeted. "Are you ready to order?" Shaun nodded and told her what we wanted, plus all our drinks. The waitress nodded and scribbled it all down on her notepad.

"Will that be all?" she asked.

"Yes, thanks," Andy grinned, dropping his eyelid into a wink. My stomach clenched with anger and I turned away, staring out the window. Once the waitress was gone, chatter started to build up between everyone. I tuned it out, concentrating on the view of the street past Jumpnow's head. It seemed like ages until someone adressed me.

"Ash? Are you still there?" I snapped back to reality with the sound of Lauren's voice. Everyone – apart from Andy – was looking at me with interest.

"Oh…what? I wasn't listening," I mumbled, gnawing my lip.

"What did you want to do after lunch?" Shaun asked, propping his chin in the palm of his hand.

"I don't care," I answered. "Whatever is most popular."

"Well I still say going to the movies," Bradie piped up, launching straight back into the conversation. I tuned it out again and stared at the tabletop. Unconsciously, I noticed I'd started leaning towards Andy, my shoulder now touching his. He didn't move, he didn't say anything. He just looked down at me with no expression registering on his face and returned to the chatter. My heart rate had sped up rapidly and it reminded me of when I'd first met him. Any touch between us had sent me into a whirl. I felt a set of fingers close around my wrist and my heart stopped before I realised they were from the opposite side of my body to Andy. Turning my head, I gazed at Jumpnow.

"You're heart rate is really high, Cutie," he whispered in my ear, stroking the inside of my wrist with his thumb. I resisted the urge to pull away from him but let the smallest smile creep onto my face.

"Don't go getting any ideas, Jumpnow," I replied quietly so no one else could hear. From across the booth, I saw Sophie shoot me a quizzical look but I just blinked and nodded a little at her, letting her know I had it under control. She nodded back and greeted the waitress who had returned with our pizzas. She set them down in the middle of the table and then handed us plates.

"Can I get you anything else?" She asked, smiling flirtatiously at Andy. He winked again and I immediately pulled myself away from him, breaking the contact between us. I saw him look the smallest bit disappointed and shoot me a sideways glance, but I kept my lips compressed together in partial anger. Once the waitress was finally gone, Shaun was the first to reach for a piece or barbecue pizza and had it deleted in about five seconds. Slowly, everyone else began to grab for the slices, taking two at a time until there was one left.

"You grab it, Ash," Bradie encouraged. "You haven't taken any." I gazed down at my empty plate before shrugging.

"I'm not really hungry," I replied. "I might just go for a walk. Shaun can have my piece."

"Good luck getting out," Lauren said around a mouthful of food. She was right; I'd have to get past three people on each side. Jumpnow wiped his hands and grabbed me around the waist, sliding me onto his lap and then down beside him. My breath was stuck in my throat and I gaped at him for a second before Lauren did the exact same thing. She was stronger than she looked, might I add. At the end, Shaun reached out to do the same but I held up my hands.

"It's okay," I said. "I can get out now." Carefully, I squished up against the table and shimmied out of the booth. Shaun shrugged and went straight back to his pizza.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Bradie asked, concern covering his face. I tried to muster up a smile.

"No thanks, Bradie. I'll be fine," I replied quickly, starting to back towards the door.

"I'll come with you," Jumpnow said. "I need some fresh air."

"No!" I exclaimed but immediately regretted it. "I need to be by myself for a bit…" I backed away even more but stumbled and fell into the blonde waitress who was bringing a jug of water over to our table. She squealed and tumbled to the ground, practically pouring the water all over herself. I'd caught myself on the wall just before I went down, so my feet were the only things getting wet.

"Oh my gosh, I'm…I'm sorry. I – I didn't mean to…"

"Are you okay?" Andy murmured to the waitress, kneeling by her side. So he'd gotten out of the booth that quick to help her? Great. She gave him a weak smile and took his offered hand. When she got back onto her feet, I saw her purposefully stumble and Andy wrapped his arm dutifully around her waist. Anger surged up inside of me and I forced myself to turn away and get out the door without swearing. As I stepped out onto the street, I instantly turned and walked quickly down the street. Eventually, I found a small park and curled up on one of the many benches dotted around. The air was fresh and clean, filled with occasional barks from dogs and cries from children. Closing my eyes, I let the rays of warm sun spill across my face. My phone vibrated in my pocket and Teenagers rang out. Slowly, I sat up and dug it out, pressing the talk button and holding it to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Is this Ashli?"

"Casper?"

"Baby! You remember my voice!" Casper exclaimed, his words slurring. There was raucous laughter from the other line and I knew immediately that Casper was drunk.

"Casper, what are you doing?"

"I called to tell you that – DAVE! SHUDDUP!" I winced back from my phone as Casper yelled. "I called to tell you that, my dear gorgeous incredible amazing talented amigo, I love you."

"We've been over this; you can't love me," I sighed.

"I do. I do I do I do. You can't tell me who to love. Love is from the heart! H – A – R – T!" My head dropped into my free hand and I moaned.

"Look, I'm not telling you who to love. I'm telling you that nothing is ever going to happen between us," I told him firmly.

"You can't be absolutely positive," Casper slurred. "I know you will love me one day." Dealing with a drunken guy who claimed he was infatuated with you was not easy, as I discovered. And as hard as I was trying to keep my emotions under wraps, a small fissure appeared in my self-control and it soon turned into a large, gaping hole.

"Listen to me! There will never be something between us, no matter how much I do love you and how much you want there to be something!" My mouth snapped shut as soon as I'd said it, and I knew I'd made a huge mistake. There was a long beep in my ear and I pressed the end button. He'd hung up on me. I dropped my phone down beside me and let my head fall into my hands. Everything couldn't possibly be any more screwed up.

It was exactly 6:30 p.m. when Shaun and Bradie decided it would be a fabulous idea to go down to the pool. There was a ten minute debate on whether we would or wouldn't go, but after the cussing was over, it was decided that we'd go. So, clad in our swimsuits, we trooped down to the pool with our clothes and towels slung over our arms.

The pool area on the third bottom floor of the hotel was humid and hot like all pool areas. It was also completely empty – apart from us.

"I wanna go in first!" Bradie exclaimed, shucking his t-shirt and jumping into the crystal clear water. His board shorts ballooned out before disappearing under the surface. After a second or two, his head popped up, his brown hair plastered down onto his forehead.

"Come in!" he laughed. "It's warm!" Shaun was the next to go in, but before he did, he noticed Lauren standing by the side and he quickly scooped her up into his arms.

"Shaun!" Lauren exclaimed, laughing. "Let go of me!"

"No way," he replied, an evil grin lighting his face. "Are you ready to go in?"

"WAIT! I'm still wearing my hoodie!" Hurriedly, Lauren shimmied out of her hoodie and threw it at my feet. It left her in a two piece bathing suit and Shaun seemed to like this fact very much. He clutched her close to his chest and he walked around to the deepest end of the pool. Stepping away from the edge, he took a giant leap and was quickly submerged. Lauren's shriek of laughter echoed through the room as she surfaced. Shaun followed after her, his dark hair almost reaching past his nose. I heard Jumpnow chuckle from beside me and I felt a small smile stretching across my face.

Bradie called from the water, "Sophie! Please come in!" My friend sighed and pulled off her hoodie to reveal bathers and an old AC/DC t-shirt. Slowly, she made her way over to the steps and stepped onto the first step in the shallow end. She then took another until she was up to her knees. Bradie stood a little way away, looking expectant. Sophie took another step and I moved silently forward to the edge, pushing her in. She squealed as she went under and I laughed. Her head popped up and she scowled, spitting water.

"That wasn't funny!" She said hotly, swiping her soaked fringe away from her face.

"It was," I told her once I finished my laughing fit.

"It was, was it?" I nodded. "Well, then, let's see how you like it!" Sophie climbed out of the water with a speed I thought was impossible and she ran at me. Jumping, I raced for the other side of the pool. Once we'd done two laps of the pool, I unzipped my hoodie, threw it at Jumpnow and when I got around to the deep end, I performed a perfect, arcing dive. I heard someone's words of awe and I swam up to the surface. When my head was clear, I looked up to the side of the pool to see Sophie frowning down at me.

"Why couldn't you let me push you in?" She muttered.

"Because I'd like to keep my dignity," I replied, swimming backwards to the shallow end. "And diving is fun."

"I'll bet it is," she said, rolling her eyes and sitting at the edge. Bradie swam over to her and she smiled instantly. Averting my eyes, I gazed up to the set of chairs where Jumpnow and Andy were still standing.

"Come on, Jumpnow," I said, waving my hand. "You can't stay out there forever." He grinned and slipped out of his t-shirt, striding over to the edge. His black and orange board shorts were dull compared to Bradie and Shaun's; which was saying something.

"Is it cold?" he asked, looking down at me. I crossed my arms over my black and blue bikini top, feeling suddenly self-conscious.

"Only one way to find out." Jumpnow winked at me before taking a giant run up and jumping in. The water rippled violently and I ducked under the water, squeezing my eyes shut. After a second, I felt a pair of arms wrap around my bare waist and I laughed, my head breaking the surface. Jumpnow pulled me close to him, laughing with me.

"It's not cold," he said into my ear, releasing me and standing up. In the shallow end when I was standing, the water came up to the bottom of my ribs, and I could see Jumpnow glancing down a bit too often for my liking.

"Guys?" Sophie's voice broke the air around us. I turned to see her wading over to the edge of the pool, Bradie following after. "We're gonna go back up, okay?"

"But we just got here," I said, furrowing my eyebrows.

"Yeah…we're tired," Bradie said. I knew instantly what they meant and I zipped my mouth shut, watching them as they collected their things and left. Shaun giggled hysterically when they were gone and everyone shot him a worried look.

"They think we're stupid!" He cackled, clutching his stomach.

"Well who wouldn't think you were stupid?" Lauren sighed, rolling her eyes. Shaun stopped and poked his tongue out at her. Lauren ruffled his sopping wet hair and smiled at him.

"I'm hungry," Shaun said suddenly, his eyes lighting up with the prospect of food.

"Ooh, me too!" Lauren exclaimed. "We'll be back soon." They, too, climbed out of the water and left. I watched them leave with despair. I was now alone with two guys. Jumpnow being one and he was standing less than a metre away from me. Andy – I noticed – had fallen asleep on one of the chaise lounges, his mouth hanging open the slightest bit. My heart gave a painful throb and I turned back to Jumpnow. On a whim, I turned away and dived under the water, sticking close to the bottom as I made my way to the deep end. Kicking off the bottom, I shot up to the waterline and flicked my hair away from my face. I'd let it out before I'd gotten into the water and it was plastered to my head and cascading down into the water. As I turned away from the wall, I came face to shoulders with Jumpnow. He grinned down at me and swam forward, almost forcing me into the corner. I gripped the wall, trying to keep myself up. He put his arms up on the edge, steadying himself. Slowly, his head tipped forward until his forehead touched mine. Before he went any further, I pressed my finger to his lips.

"You gotta catch me first," I whispered, ducking under his arm and swimming away. His laughter filled my ears as I dived under the water. I stayed there for a few seconds with my eyes sealed shut and my lips compressed together. When I rose slowly, I felt a pair of hands on my waist and I smiled, keeping my eyes shut. I let Jumpnow guide me to the corner in the shallow end and slowly, I felt his lips press against mine tentatively. After a moment, I forced my brain to function and I wrapped my arms around his neck, my lips moving with his. His arms were around my waist just above my bather bottoms and his hands were splayed out on my hips. A few seconds later, the kiss stopped and I opened my eyes. My mouth dropped open and my eyes widened. Andy stood in front of me; _his _hands on my hips, _his_ neck my arms were around, _his _lips I'd just kissed.

* * *

**AN:** Intense, right? ;)

Well, instead of recommending a song to you all, if you can tell me what song the title of this chapter was ,(**I Gotta Be Cool, Relax. Get Hip, Get On My Tracks**) I'll dedicate the next chapter to you. haha Because then you must have some serious musical knowledge ;)

Well, thankyou for reading this chapter :D

BTW I don't think Chapter 28 will be up as quickly


	28. Chapter 28

**AN:** So here it is! And I'm so so so so so sorry that it took so long for me to get it up. It took me so long to write this chapter and I'm not sure why. But I did have a massive writer's block in the middle which is why it deteriorated a quite a bit.

Anyway, I won't bore you now with reading the review replies so I'll put all that at the end. Enjoy!

THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO MELFLETCHERR AND IMSPIDERMAN. Two of the awesomest people online that I know. (: 3

**Pennywise and Purple Silk**

My arms instantly came down from Andy's neck and I pressed back against the pool wall. He stared down at me, his eyes filled with an emotion I couldn't depict. After a second, I dredged up the strength to speak.

"What are you doing?" I asked, hostile, my voice wavering pathetically. Andy stepped away a few times so he was nearly at the opposite edge of the pool.

"I – "

"What the hell is going on?" Jumpnow's cold voice sliced through Andy's menacingly. I jumped and my eyes flickered up to him uncertainly.

"Nothing," I said levelly, turning around and hoisting myself out of the pool.

"That wasn't 'nothing'," Jumpnow replied. Andy was out of the pool by now, and he was standing by his stuff, watching me intently.

"Just forget it," I said. "It was _nothing_."

"So you're saying that kiss didn't mean anything?" Andy asked, walking over to me and putting his hand on my cheek. A _smack_ echoed around us and I jumped backwards as Andy stumbled. Jumpnow's fist recoiled from Andy's face and his heavy breathing echoed around us.

"Oh my god!" I exclaimed, whirling on Jumpnow. "What the hell was that?"

"You didn't tell me you kissed him back!"

"That didn't mean you had to _punch_ him!" Turning back to Andy, I put my hand on his arm and took his hand away from his face. A trail of bright red blood was snaking from his nose, dribbling onto his mouth. "Look what you've done," I growled, turning to glare accusingly at Jumpnow. He didn't look sorry at all. In fact, he looked proud.

"Come on," I murmured gently to Andy. Grabbing my things from the chairs, I led the way out to the elevators. Before I got there, I heard a light chuckle. Gritting my teeth, I stepped into the elevator and watched as Andy stepped in after me. As we got to our floor, I finally glanced up at him. His eyes were focused straight ahead and he was standing as far away from me as he could, pressed up against the wall.

"I'm not going to eat you," I said softly, exiting the elevator as the doors slid open.

Once we got inside our room, I noticed that it was oddly silent. A sheet of paper lay on the kitchen table and I plucked it off, reading through the scrawled writing.

_Gone to the shops with Lauren, Bradie and Shaun. _

Sophie had written.

_Will be back in an hour. Don't do anything I wouldn't do…Andy included. ;]_

Sighing, I scrunched it up and threw it into the bin. Andy was standing in the doorway still and I motioned for him to come in and close the door. When he was inside, I sighed heavily again.

"We better get you cleaned up, hey?" I remarked, glancing him up and down. With a shrug, Andy followed me to the bathroom. Sitting on the edge of the bathtub, he watched as I grabbed a wad of toilet paper from the roll and ran it under hot water. Turning back to him, I leant forward and put my hand under his chin, suddenly aware that I was still wearing my bathers. I leaned down to Andy, gently and cautiously dabbing at the drying blood. Silence echoed around us like a gunshot; the air so still it felt like time itself had come to a halt. Pulling back, I grabbed another lot of toilet paper and ran it under the faucet. As I turned back to him, I noticed a fresh trickle of blood run from his nose. Sighing with dismay, I sat down next to him on the edge of the bath and held his chin steady with my hand as I wiped away the blood.

"You know," Andy said conversationally. "You should wear bikinis more often." Gritting my teeth, I stood up and shoved him backwards so he landed in the bathtub – I made sure he didn't hurt himself. Angrily, I yanked the cold water tap to full and heard his girlish shriek pierce the air around us.

"Don't," I yelled, "ever hit on me again!" Throwing the make shift wipe onto the ground at my feet, I spun on my heel and stalked out the door. Grumbling, I shoved my way into the bedroom I shared with Jumpnow and snatched up clean clothes and underwear from my bag and locked myself in the bathroom. Turning on the hot water, I stepped under the stream. Slowly, I felt the muscles in my face and arms relaxing, the angry tension being sapped away.

The rest of the day passed quickly and the exact same time twenty-four hours later rolled around with too much speed. After five minutes of standing under the hot water in the shower, I shampooed my hair and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a grainy white towel around me. Changing into a pair of purple skinnys and a grey and black flannelette shirt, rolled up to my elbows. Hurriedly drying and straightening my hair, I pulled it up into a high messy ponytail. Finally, I walked out of the bathroom and then went back into the living room. Everyone was crowded onto the couch, and the lights were off. Taking my place next to Sophie on the couch, I noticed that they were watching IT. I smirked and curled up, aware that Sophie had a death grip on my arm; she never was one for scary movies. Jumpnow – who was on the floor with Andy – looked incredibly at ease and relaxed, seemingly not afraid by the scary ass clown that killed and dismembered children. Shaun and Lauren were huddled together on another one of the couches, sharing a big bowl of popcorn while Bradie was curled into Sophie's side. I'd already seen the movie hundreds of times so I knew when there was a scary bit about to happen. The others, not so much. It came to the part in the film where Ben was standing by the small lake, watching Pennywise as he disappeared. Two seconds later, a skeleton/ mummy version of Pennywise shot out of the water and grabbed Ben's leg. Shaun screamed shrilly and jumped, flinging his arms up, causing the popcorn to fly out of the bowl and rain back down onto him and Lauren.

"What was that for?" Lauren cried, gaping down at herself.

"I'm sorry," Shaun said in a small voice, his eyes wide as he looked up at her apologetically. I was in hysterics, clutching at my stomach despite the fact that everyone was already going back to the movie. After a few more minutes, Sophie stood and stretched, obviously tired of seeing the clown jump out at kids.

"Let's go out," she announced. There were audible groans. "Come on! It'll be fun!" There were more groans.

"It's too late to go out," Lauren said, meticulously picking popcorn out of her hair. Sophie snorted.

"No it's not. People go out at eleven o'clock at night these days." On a whim, I smiled.

"I'm in; it's boring around here, anyway," I said, standing also. A smile lit up my friend's face.

"I'll come," Jumpnow volunteered, raising his hand.

"I may as well too," Bradie piped up.

"And me!" Shaun exclaimed.

"I'm in," Lauren sighed. Everyone but Andy was smiling. He looked torn.

"Are you gonna come?" Shaun asked, prodding Andy with his toe. Andy took a fleeting glance towards me and he must've seen the apprehensive look on my face because after a second, he looked defiant.

"Sure, I'll come." Shaun 'whooped' and jumped up, scattering popcorn across the floor.

"Let's go then!" He exclaimed. We all started for our bedrooms to change before I stopped in the doorway to mine.

"What do you wear to a club?" I mused aloud.

"Dresses," Jumpnow said immediately. I rose an eyebrow at him and he shrugged. "That's just what all the girls wear." Frowning it off, I tapped my finger my chin as I walked over to my wardrobe where I'd unpacked all of my things.

"I think I have _something_," I murmured, sifting through my clothes. After a minute or two, I came to the very back of the wardrobe and found just what I was looking for. A strapless purple dress was hung up in the very back of the rack and I pulled it out. Jumpnow was still searching through his suitcase so I quickly slipped into the bathroom. Changing into the dress quickly, I was afraid that Jumpnow would walk in by accident. Turning to the mirror, I stifled a gasp as I studied myself. The purple stood out dramatically against my long, dark hair. The silk bodice hugged my torso until it came down to my hips where it flowed out like an old fashioned dress. With a thin tulle underlay, the purple silk ended a little way above my knees. Quickly, I straightened my hair and did my make-up before readying myself to leave. My shoulders felt naked with the absence of straps so I shrugged my flanny back on. Taking a deep breath – which was very difficult – I wrapped my arms around my clothes and stepped out of the bathroom. Jumpnow was still digging in his suitcase, half of his clothes on his bed. Quietly, I returned to the wardrobe and put everything away, taking off the flanny. When I turned around, Jumpnow had looked up and his jaw was dropped, mouth hanging open.

"Don't look at me like that," I mumbled, crossing my arms over my chest.

"How could I not?" I shot Jumpnow a glare and he closed his mouth, getting up and walking over to me. "I'm sorry. I've just never seen you look so…amazing." Despite the fact that I felt very uncomfortable, I smiled.

"Thanks, Jumpnow," I whispered, feeling a slow blush rise in my cheeks. His fingers reached out, brushing across my shoulder before sliding up to cup the side of my neck. I knew where it was going. Jumpnow leaned in, his other hand closing around my waist. He was so close now that I could feel his hot breath on my cheek. Pressing his lips to my ear, he whispered, "I've never seen someone as beautiful as you." In a flash, his lips were on mine, hot and gentle, his arms snaking around my waist. After a split second, my natural instinct kicked in and I responded, twining my arms around his neck and kissing back. So quickly I didn't even notice, I was pressed back against the wall, my heart beating fast. Jumpnow's hands worked their way down my sides, stopping when they reached my hips. Slowly, he dragged his fingers around to my back, his lips moving to my neck simultaneously. Suddenly, the top of my dress started to go loose. He'd found the zip. Breaking the kiss, I pulled my head away. Just as Andy walked in. I clutched my dress to my body, willing for it to stay put and to not fall down, leaving me half-naked. Lost for words, I let my mouth hang open, silence reverberating around the room. A hushed anger was seeping through every pore in Andy's body as he stood in the doorway.

"Do you need something?" Jumpnow asked, sounding incredibly calm considering the situation.

"We're leaving now," Andy growled, seething.

"Okay, we'll be there in a minute," Jumpnow replied, dismissing him like a servant. A second later, the door closed with a bang and Jumpnow turned back to me. "Where were we?" He murmured, placing his hands back onto my waist. Just before his lips reached mine, I pulled away.

"I…I can't do this," I whispered, stepping away.

"What do you mean?"

"It just feels wrong."

"What does?"

"This," I said, gesturing between us. "Look, I know barely anything about you. I can't just do this without spending any time with you first." Nodding, he stepped back, looking pissed off.

"Then why could you still do this with Andy?" He said 'Andy' with a sneer, like it tasted foul.

"I knew him. I spent time with him. I didn't rush it like…like now." Slowly, when he didn't say anything, I zipped the back of my dress up and straightened it back to its normal position, pulling it down to the right level again.

"I'm sorry," I said softly, looking up at Jumpnow. With a small smile, he shook his head.

"It's my fault. I shouldn't have come onto so quickly." I licked my lips before stepping forward to him, wrapping my arms around him and giving him a gentle hug. He returned the gesture, kissing the top of my head.

"It's okay," I replied, smiling.

"You're just too hard to resist."

"Don't push it, Jumpnow," I warned, pulling apart. He held up his hands in defence.

"I'm only telling the truth."

The club was loud with people lined up halfway down the block. But then again, Shaun claimed that it was the best club in Sydney. Lauren and Sophie had both produced a dress and heels from somewhere and both looked uncomfortable. They weren't really the dress-wearing types. With my shiny black heels, I was almost as tall as Bradie, about fifteen centimetres off. I was pretty short normally. When we finally got to the front of the line, Shaun shook hands with the bouncer and exchanged some friendly hellos. He let us in once we'd all flashed some ID and we ducked inside. The interior of the club was pulsing with the strobe lights that spun around the room. People were crammed onto the dance floor and the rest of them were sitting at the bar or at the tables. We moved over to the corner where there was a table, a little way away from the dance floor. Shaun went up to the bar to get everyone drinks and returned a minute later with them all, setting them in front of us. I snatched up my cruiser and drank half of it in about ten minutes. The conversation between us was light over the loud music, but when I saw Andy give Jumpnow a 'look', I knew something was wrong. Especially when Andy stood up and walked out the door.

"I'm just going to go get some fresh air," I said to Sophie, grabbing my small bag and following after Andy. Once outside, I could finally breathe again and the fresh air felt good on my skin.

"Andy!" I called, following him down the street. He stopped and turned to me, looking angry.

"What?"

"Why are you out here?"

"I need some space."

"Then why are you giving Jumpnow dirty looks?" I crossed my arms.

"I need some – "

"You know it's got to do with more than just 'needing some space'!"

"It doesn't," he insisted.

"Yes it does."

"It doesn't!"

"It does!"

"Stop it!"

"Then stop lying to me!" He was silent. "Stop lying to me and I'll leave you alone."

"Why were you…kissing Jumpnow?" He asked quietly.

"I don't know," I answered, honest.

"Why were you taking your dress off?"

"I wasn't!"

"Stop lying!"

"I'm not!" I cried. "Jumpnow, he…he tried to take it off but I didn't let him!" A group of three or four people walking by shot us questioning looks but continued on, probably wondering what the hell we were talking about. Andy's face fell, the hatred almost all gone.

"Why would you let him even try?"

"Andy, don't you see it? You're jealous!"

"No, I'm not," he replied, as stubborn as the day I'd met him. Turning on his heel, he continued on. I darted forward and grabbed his arm, forcing him to face me.

"You are," I insisted. "This is exactly what I was like with Jada. You're jealous at the very idea of me being with another guy, let alone Jumpnow." There was a charged silence darting back and forth between us like a fireball.

"Why did you let him try?" Licking my lips, I let him go, my arm swinging back down to my side.

"I'm still angry about Jada," I whispered, averting his searching gaze.

"You know how sorry I am don't you? Ashli, you can't believe how much I regret hurting you. I really am sorry." Andy stepped forward towards me, his eyes creasing with concern. "Do you forgive me?" It took me a moment to reply. A moment to gather all my thoughts while he was staring at me with those eyes, those eyes which made my brain scatter whenever I looked into them. I took a deep breath.

"I can't. Andy, why don't you understand? I loved you so much but you just…you just pushed me aside like I was some second hand piece of clothing. Like I wasn't wanted anymore."

"I didn't mean for you to feel like that. I just – "

"It doesn't matter what you did or didn't want! What you did hurt me. And that's all there is to it. There's no ifs or buts or anything anymore! What you did to me was just – " I was cut off promptly by Andy, his lips crushed against mine. Shock coursed through my body as he wrapped his arms around me, fingers running through my hair. It was just like in the pool. But ten times better. Once again, my natural instincts kicked in and I responded; but with much more emotion then I would've liked. A few seconds later, we broke apart, breathing heavily. A slight smirk, just a ghost of Andy's usual look, was playing on his mouth.

"I've missed that," he commented. "So much."

"You never had to miss it. We can take this slowly. If you want to. We can start this all again, okay?"

"But what about Jumpnow?" I gnawed by bottom lip.

"Jumpnow will understand…I think. He knows now that what we were doing before was…I told him not to do it again," I explained.

"Will he listen to you?" Andy asked, sceptical.

"He better. If he doesn't, he'll know what's coming to him." Andy grinned.

"Sounds reasonable."

"It is," I answered. "I want to ask you something."

"Go ahead."

"Will you start this all again? This whole relationship."

"I don't know…" For the first time, I'd heard him sound uncertain.

"You don't know?"

"Ashli, you don't know how much I want to start this again. But I just can't. Jada left three days ago."

"So you don't want to?"

"I do."

"But you're not over Jada," I sighed, stepping back.

"Yes, well, no. I just…I just don't know. It's only been three days and I really did love her," he replied, running a hand through his mussed up hair. Stretching up despite my heels, I pressed my lips to his cheek and then his lips.

"Tell me when you're ready. I'll wait for you," I whispered and turned away, walking slowly back to the club while straightening out my clothing and hair. When I got back inside, I saw two girls standing by our table, their straight blonde hair long and hanging down their backs. When one of them turned around, my heart leapt to my throat. But when the other turned, I swore I was seeing double. That wasn't the only problem though. There was a boy. Tall with dark hair swept across his forehead and concealing one eye, an electric blue streak lighting up his fringe.

**AN: **I hope the wait was worth it So here goes….

**CommeParMagie: **Thankyouuu (: I hope this one is just as good.

**Melfletcherr: **YAY! You got it right (: So this chapter, as you probably saw, was dedicated to you. And you have some serious

musical knowledge.

**xEmilia: **Haha I saw that it was repeated -.- stupid computer…the end was a bit of a shock, wasn't it? Sorry if I caused any heart problems…

**Emxxx: **Naww it's cool. LOL it was a long time ago though…November last year I think. Sorry if I'm making Jumpnow come across as creepy he actually does become really creepy in this chapter :S Woah that would have taken you a lonnngg time. And thankyou for the effort to review anyway, even if it's in your mind (:

**Happy-gerbil-faced-optimism****: **Thankyou (: I try not to rush it but sometimes I just need to move on to the next chapter and it gets a little icky in the middle. BTW, if you are talking about my short stack to a unstable romance, yeah we got to school together (: And I guess we are pretty good friends. Haha thankyou for your helpful review

**Imspiderman: **Oh my gosh…it took me about ten minutes to reply to your whole review but it was worth it. So here goes:

1 Aww thankyou so much (: I thought it was rather terrible -.-

2 Even I kinda disliked him…and that's saying something.

3 Hahahaha

4 You shall just have to wait and find out…

5 LOL

6 Yes, yes he did. But I don't think he said it in this chapter O.o

7 As you've mentioned xD

8 Haha it was fun writing it. I'm glad I made someone LOL

9 Definitely a dodgy system.

10 School is school. It's alright…How's your school going?

11 I have nooooo idea

12 Woot!

13 Yes, I still say Shaun is better than drunk Casper…

14 Hahaha she's getting there ;D

15 I could not agree more. I can't believe I even wrote that

16 And YEAAAAH! Ima dedicate it to you too.

Well here it was…I hope you liked it (:

**Hanna**: Haha I realised when I put it up that it repeated itself I'm just too lazy to take it down and put it up again. And woooow that's an incredible idea (: Maybe you should be writing this O.o

**Bradie Webb's no. 1 girl: **Aww thanks honey (:

**Soph:** Aww thankyou (: I'm trying to make Andy nice again…I hope it's working And thankyou again honey : )

**SenseOfPretend: **Because you reviewed on like, three chapters, I shall reply to them all in here. LOL so here it gooooes:

Review 1: Haha it's cool. Everyone gets confused. As long as you get to read them I'm happy (: And thankyou (:

Review 2: I try, I try. Haha

Review 3: WOAH! That's a lot of sugar….and you must be psychic.

**Blaze: **I just posted it now! :D

**Hanna:** Read above. lol

Song recommendations:

On To The Next One by Escape The Fate.

It's Just Me by Escape The Fate.

My gorgeous friend lent me their album This War Is Ours and I love it heaps. So check it out (:


	29. Chapter 29

**AN: **I don't think anyone understands how sorry I am! This is so so so so late. So I'm going to dump the replies until the end. :D Enjoyyy

**Terror Twins **

When they say people get lost for words, I don't think they really understand the full meaning of that term. But when those two girls turned around, I finally understood what they meant. I couldn't speak; couldn't move. It was like every single little thing I'd learnt to do in my whole lifetime just evaporated completely. Behind the girls, I saw Lauren, Sophie, Bradie, Shaun and Jumpnow looking confused, shocked but also understanding.

"Babe, where have you been?" Casper greeted me, stepping forward with his arms open. I backed away. A look of hurt and rejection crossed his face and he lowered his arms. I was sure my heartbeat could be heard over the thumping music.

"Ashli?" He whispered. I shook my head steadily and narrowed my eyes at him.

"What are you doing here?" I growled lowly.

"Ashli, let me explain," Jada said, holding up a hand.

"What are you doing here?" I shouted at her, my rage bursting through my body.

"Please, don't be mad at me, let me explain," she pleaded, sounding completely sincere.

"Why should I? You haven't don't anything – "

"Let her explain," Sophie piped up, sounding pissed off. Taking a breath, I flicked my gaze to Jada.

"You have two minutes."

"Okay. I know this sounds like a cliché and a lie, but it's all true, I swear."

"Then hurry it up," I snapped coldly. Jada spared me a begging glance before taking a deep breath.  
"I have a twin," she announced. Blinking at her, I shook my head.

"You've always been such a liar."

"No, I'm serious. Her name's Cara," Jada said firmly, gesturing to the girl on her left.

"She isn't lying," Cara said, giving me a once-over, her lip curling into a sneer.

"But then why…"

"It's a long story," Jada told me, "but you need to hear all of it."

"Tell me then." My tone was softer now, more subdued. I was finally seeing that my anger wouldn't get me anywhere; wouldn't get me through the painful process any quicker.

"Okay, you might want to sit down for this." I took her advice, taking a seat next to Sophie in the booth. Soph took hold of my arm and I let her.

"You might feel a little faint after this," Cara taunted, reminding me so much of Jada herself. Jada shot her a disapproving look, but slid in opposite me.

"Cara…she" – she licked her lips – "she's the one who murdered Louise." My mind went blank.

"What?"

"I've been covering for Cara this whole time." My mouth opened and closed, my eyes focusing on the girl opposite me.

"So…_she_ killed Louise?" My voice was no louder than a whisper and I doubted anyone could hear it over the music. Jada nodded. I glanced at Sophie. Her eyes were turned to the table and I saw the tears glittering in her eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me?" The rage was back now, fighting for a way out.

"I couldn't," Jada said, despair colouring her tone. "If I'd told anyone then Cara would've gone to prison. You don't understand."

"Jada, you were my best friend. You…you could always trust me," I stammered, my voice breaking.

"Ash, our friendship meant so much to me, you have to know that. But I honestly had to _be_ Cara." Jada sounded like the friend I had before everything turned bad; before I'd had to endure all the hatred we'd given each other.

"But why?" I pressed, trying to squeeze all the information out of her, unaware of the tear sliding down my cheek.

"Cara kind of…went into hiding. I had to pretend to be her because she still lived with out parents and I didn't. And because we are identical it was easier for me to do that than to make up some excuse about her going somewhere," Jada explained.

"But when you came to us why were you still the same?" Lauren spoke up, looking sceptically at her. Jada sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"I was sort of stuck as Cara. It was like I couldn't not be her. Until I realised how much damage I'd done to our friendship. And the damage I'd caused between you and Andy. I just needed to leave and talk to Cara about it all."

"But why were you so mean to me?" I asked in a small voice, ashamed that I'd ever been so cruel to her.

"I don't know," she whispered. "It's just what Cara does."

"It is not!" Cara exclaimed, glaring at her sister.

"Yes it is!" Jada insisted. "That's why you killed Louise! She was my friend too, you know!"

"Wait," Sophie interjected. "How did we think that Jada was the one who…killed Louise when Cara did?"

"They're twins," I whispered.

"So whenever something bad happened it was Cara and not you?" Lauren asked. Jada chewed her lip.

"Most of the time." Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes. "Where's Andy?" I heard Cara's sneering voice pierce my mind and my eyes flew open.

"What?" I hissed, lifting my head to meet her clear blue eyes.

"I've heard so much about this guy, I want to meet him," she said smoothly, a wicked smile lighting up her face. Jada's eyes were wide open with shock.

"Well you're not going to," I growled, my voice low. Cara feigned hurt.

"Why not? We're best friends, remember?"

"I was best friends with Jada. Not you. I should be hating you right now." Her expression snapped right back to malice.

"Louise was worthless. She was hardly one of us," Cara spat.

"She was our friend!" Sophie exclaimed.

"Hardly!"

"Cara, just be quiet and leave," Jada said firmly, a warning set in her tone. Her twin sniffed and glared.

"No. I'm not going anywhere until I meet Andy," Cara said matter-of-factly. "In fact, I might just go looking for him." With a wink, she started for the doors. In a rush, I jumped up and ran ahead of her, darting around Casper and pushing through the crowd. Once I made it outside, I frantically scanned the area around the building, slowly jogging out towards the footpath. Leaning against the corner of the building, was Andy, hands tucked into his jacket pockets. I bowled into him, shoving him backward into an alley.

"Woah! Ashli?" He exclaimed, grabbing the tops of my arms for support. I clutched at his shirt, forcing him to stay off the footpath and in the shadows. "What's going on?"

"Andy, you can't let her see you," I hissed, pushing him further backwards so he was against the wall.

"Let who see me?" Andy grabbed at my fingers – which were gripping his shirt between them – and gently pried them off. I took a deep breath and stared into his eyes. I licked my lips.

"Jada's here, Andy. And…she has a twin." My voice was barely audible. I knew what would happen.

"I need to see her," Andy said after a beat of silence, excitement and shock clear in his tone. He almost shoved me away, turning for the street.

"Andy, no!" I exclaimed, grabbing his arm. "You can't."

"Why not?" He was instantly defiant, staring down at me with what could only be distaste.

"Because her _twin_ is there."

"So?"

"So you can't let her see you!" I cried, tugging him backwards. A smug look crossed his face before pity took its place.

"There's no need to be jealous," he told me. My jaw dropped.

"I'm not jealous."

"Yes you are," he scoffed.

"I'm not!" I insisted, my fingers digging into his arm.

"Let me go," he said placidly.

"Andy, you have to listen to me. If Cara sees you then everything will be ruined." He chuckled darkly and pulled his arm roughly. Instantly, it fell from my grip and I stumbled.

"I see what you're doing," he said lowly, not even making a move to help me. "You're trying to get me to stay away from Jada so you can have me to yourself." I didn't think it possible, but my jaw dropped lower.

"Wha…that's not what I'm doing," I said quietly, startled by his accusation.

"It is," Andy smirked. "I can see right through you."

"How can you say that when you considered getting back with me?"

"Don't start!" Andy shouted suddenly. I shrunk backwards. "Don't even try with the guilt trips."

"It's not a fucking guilt trip when it's true!" I yelled back, jerking my chin at him.

"You know what? You haven't changed at all. You're still the same jealous, little kid that you've always been! Considering getting back with you is the stupidest thing I've ever thought," Andy sneered. With a once-over of disgust, he was gone. My jaw was open, tears stinging my eyes. Slowly, I took a deep, shaky breath and walked out of the alley, across to the other side of the street. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of blue and I turned my head. Casper was standing across the road, looking at me with concern covering his features. I nodded to him and continued on, walking down a lit-up path until I came to a little park with a pond, a swingset and a slide. Slipping off my heels, I dumped my bag with them and padded through the damp grass until I got to the swingset. The air had a chill to it and I shivered as I sat down on the swing, letting my dress spill over the edge. Unwillingly, as I closed my eyes and let my mind wander back to the previous moments, tears trickled down my frozen cheeks, surely bringing a trail of mascara and eyeliner with them. After a moment, I heard someone approaching and I opened my eyes a crack to make sure I knew who it was. When I did recognise them, I closed my hands around the cold chain of the swing and waited for them to push me. They did and I rose slowly, the frosty night air whipping through my hair. My eyes stayed closed after that, not wanting to see the city become more and more clear over the trees.

"I'm sorry," I called out after a few minutes.

"It's okay, babe," Casper replied, pushing me higher.

"I didn't mean to make you feel so bad."

"You didn't. Can I stop you? I want to talk." I nodded and waited for the swinging to slow down. When it was slow enough, Casper reached out and grabbed around the swing and me so that it stopped completely. His warm arms around me made my heart thump faster and I relaxed into them.

"Hold on, Ash, I don't want to let you go and let you fall," he whispered in my ear. With a jolt, I sat upright again and opened my eyes. Standing in front of me was Casper, kneeling down so he was at my eye level.

"Hi," I whispered, a smile ghosting my lips.

"Hi yourself," he murmured, smiling. Standing, he took a place on the swing next to mine and started to swing himself higher.

"Was there anything in particular you wanted to talk about?" I asked, my eyes following him as he went back and forth in front of me.

"Yes, actually," he laughed, slowing down. "I wanted to talk to you about that night I called you." I cringed with the memory of a drunk Casper, professing his love for me.

"I think I remember that," I replied, digging my toes into the grass underneath my feet.

"I know you do." He'd come to a complete halt, flashing me the most gorgeous smile.

"Feel free to talk about it then," I giggled, motioning for him to start.

"Alright, well, I was drunk; you know that." I nodded. "And I was probably under the influence of my friends." I nodded again. "But what I said was completely true."

"You don't love me," I said softly.

"Yes I do."

"But you don't even know what love_ is_." Casper provided me with a solemn stare.

"Ashli, I'm twenty years old. I know when I love someone."

"You're _twenty_? Since when?" I gasped, my eyes growing wide.

"Babe, that's old news," he grinned, dropping his eyelid into a wink, suddenly humourous. "Plus anyway, it was about a month or two ago." I tilted my head.

"I didn't get you anything, why didn't you tell me?"

"It wasn't important," he said, waving it off.

"It is," I insisted. Casper thought for a moment before beckoning to me with a finger.

"Come here then," he grinned wickedly. Standing, I glided across the gap between the swings and stood in front of him. He pat his thighs and I gently lowered myself onto his legs so I was sitting across them. After a few seconds – once I was relatively comfortable – Casper steadied himself so I wouldn't fall off and wrapped his arms around me. Slowly, he brought one hand up to my cheek softly, leaning in.

"This is my present," he whispered before pressing his lips to mine. I responded instantly, my hands creeping up his chest until they got to his neck. One of my hands ran through his black hair, the other cupped around his neck. Casper's arms were around me, his fingers twined into my hair. It was effortless with Casper. The only time we paused was to take a breath. We pulled apart, breathing heavily.

"Was that a good enough present?" I asked, a small smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

"It was perfect," he replied, leaning back in and kissing me softly. After another few quiet moments, Casper looked me solemnly in the eyes, his arms around my waist.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, concerned. His look softened.

"Everything's fine. I just wanted to ask you something." I nodded, motioning for him to continue. Casper cleared his throat. "I…I wanted to know if you would be my girlfriend." When I faltered, he hastily made amends.

"I mean, I understand if you say no because of Andy and Jada and all that, but I just – "

"Casper," I laughed, tucking my head under his chin. "Of course."

"Of course you'll go out with me? Or of course it's because of – " I silenced his rant with a kiss.

"Of course I'll go out with you." For the first time in a long time, those words felt like the only right thing to come out of my mouth. With a chuckle, he pulled away a little.

"We better get back," he grinned. "I don't want them all to think I've stolen you." With a reluctant nod, I stood and walked over to where I'd put my shoes and bag, slipping them back on again. Casper was by my side within a second or two, his arm around my shoulders. Slowly, we walked back up the path, silently, my fingers twining with Casper's as they dangled over my shoulder. When we got back onto the main road, I immediately noticed that the line outside the club was longer. A groan escaped my lips as we joined the end and I leant into Casper's side. He wrapped his arm around my waist and kissed the top of my head.

"I've missed having you with me," Casper breathed into my ear.

"Me too," I agreed. "I miss all of your condescending remarks and trying to get me to make out with you." Casper laughed and kissed my cheek.

"That's exactly what you missed, isn't it?" I nodded sheepishly.

"That's exactly it."

"Well, my dear," Casper announced, "you don't have to miss that anymore."

* * *

**AN: **I hope the long wait was worth it :D

**REPLIES:**

**CommeParMagie: **Thankyou :3 I thought the dress sounded pretty too :D And you shall have to wait and see. But then again you have just read the chapter. So there; you have seen. ;D

**Hanna**: Thankyou so much :D Hahaha no need to get violent :O It took me a lot of time to think of something at least a little funny :s And I'm sure you can totally write something like this, even something one hundred times better. (: Haha I feel the same about Andy, even though I wrote about him like that :S Anyways, go calm down now! :D

**Imspiderman: **First of all, HOLY FRIKKEN GAWSH. Hahaha

1. You and my friend Lauren would get along well, she loves Mr. Diviney too ;D

2. Never fear, Ashli ain't that much of an idiot :D

3. Purple rawks ((: And I'm glad you think he's coming along well.

4. And I'm glad that you're glad that Ashli is being sensible about Jumpnow xD

5. Aww thankyou :3 I think it might of just been me then :s

6. Well then the boy or girl who did that to you and made you feel that should reconsider what they have done.

7. LOL Ashli does a lot of ranting…

8. Andy tends to need a lot of time to be forgiven, doesn't he?

9. And I'm sure, with the threat of you beating him up, he will not (maybe) ever do it again. :O

10. Yes. Yes he did.

11. I think that Ashli is very accepting haha loljks. But yes, I agree with what you're saying.  
12. CASPER! He's back!  
13. Why thankyou :3 And I believe you have already found out…

14. And you're welcome! With all the incredibly long reviews I guess I have to thank you in one way or another (:

15. School is always shit. :/ School is school, is it not? Haha

/pennywise was verreh scarreh

xx

**SenseOfPretend: **Haha Andy is pretty loveable sometimes, is he not? Thankyouuu (:

**Bradie webb's no.1 girl: **Thanks hun (: And also, if you ever need to talk to someone, just let me know :)

**JessieFOHStack**: Haha thankyouu :D And I have just updated, as you can see… :O

**: **Wah thankyou :D And please, please, do not ever, EVER, say you like my use on nouns and prepositions ever again. SEE YOU AT SCHOOL :O

Anyway I'm going to recommend For Our Hero for you all to listen to. Awesome, incredible band. 'Nuff said.

Thankyou all 3


	30. Chapter 30

**AN: **OMG I cannot believe how long this has taken me. Quite honestly, I've never felt so guilty EVER. I've gone back to school and everything's suddenly catching up with me. I'll wait for the end to do the replies but really, I'm so so so so so so so sorry. I hope you guys all forgive me? :/

**An Alleyway Is Not Suitable For That Sort Of Thing**

As we neared closer to the front of the line, the younger bouncer walking up and down the queue stopped next to us.

"Hey," he grinned appreciatively at me.

"Hi," I replied, smiling back. Casper's arm tightened around my waist and I twined my fingers with his and squeezed them gently. His arm relaxed, but not completely.

"I'm Terrence," the bouncer said, holding out a hand. I shook it in mine.

"I'm Ashli."

"And I'm her boyfriend, Casper," Casper introduced, sounding none to pleased. Yet ignored him.

"Do you come here often?" He asked.

"No. This is our first time," I said. "We're just here to rehearse for a tour."

"A tour? As in, a band?" Terrence looked sceptical now, his head tilted to the side. I had to admit he was pretty cute. But he looked to young for the age I picked him to be. His dark brown hair and brown eyes were plain compared to the nose that was slightly too big for his long face. His mouth looked inviting enough, his teeth straight and gleaming as he smiled.

"Yeah. My friends and I are a support band. We're touring in a month or two," I explained.

"Which band are you supporting?" My eyes slid to Casper's for a moment before I cleared my throat.

"Uh…Short Stack. You probably haven't heard of them though, they're not very – "

"Oh, no, I know them. They're pretty shit. Their music doesn't have any depth to it, no…meaning. They don't even write their own songs. They're dog ugly, too." Terrence sounded so nonchalant, so _sure_ of this that a spark of rage flared inside of me.

"If you don't mind making so many false remarks about them, that would be great," I said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, sure. It's just what everyone says about them. Apparently they're all pretty prissy and stuck-up about themselves, too. All man-sluts if you ask me."

"For your information," I exploded, "they are my best friends and I dated one of them! I would appreciate it immensely if you just shut up!" Casper grabbed my other hand so I didn't hit Terrence and drew it close to his chest.

"Woah," Terrence said, shocked. "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you or anything."

"May I see your passes," a deep voice said from behind us. Casper and I turned to show the bouncer at the door the stamps on our hands. Hurriedly, I forced myself inside without another look back at Terrence, my hands still locked in Casper's grip. Once we were inside and out of the way of the door, Casper pulled me to him. I sighed and rest my head on his chest.

"I'm so glad you didn't punch that guy," Casper half-yelled in my ear. I still struggled to hear him over the music.

"So am I," I replied.

"It saved me having to get you out of it."

"You know you would've enjoyed that," I teased. Casper grinned.

"I can't deny that." Quickly, he gave me a peck of the lips before dragging me over to the table where we had left everyone. Andy was no where to be seen, as was Cara and Jada. I trusted Jada was taking care of the whole situation.

"So what're you two looking so happy about?" Shaun asked, a drink in his left hand while his right arm was around Lauren's shoulders.

"Nothing," I smiled, glancing up at Casper. Sophie drew in a loud gasp.

"YOU DID NOT!" She shouted, so loudly that the people on either side of our table looked up in shock. Sophie didn't seem fazed.

"Sophia!" I exclaimed. "That's just…ew!" My jaw was dropped in horror at the thought.

"Well I just thought that, you know because you're both – "

"Don't go here," I moaned.

"- and there are a couple of nice alleyways around I just figured that you – "

"An _alleyway_?" I gasped. "I'm hurt you would even suggest that I would ever consider and alleyway for that sort of thing."

"Please tell me we're not having this conversation," Lauren grumbled, covering her face with her hands.

"Well how was I supposed to know you didn't consider and alleyway a spot for _that_?" Soph spluttered, hands splayed on the table.

"You should know me better than that," I sniffed, crossing my arms.

"When Judgement Day comes, you will be killed first on account of your ignorance of a bed!" Shaun cried suddenly. Everyone stopped to stare at him.

"Did you just say _Judgement Day_?" Bradie asked sceptically. Shaun nodded solemnly.

"Yes. I did."

"I never picked you as a religious one," Lauren commented lightly.

"You would know," I piped up, smiling wickedly when she turned bright red.

"That's not the point," she mumbled, turning her face away. Laughing at her, I leant against Casper, his arm around my waist.

"Anyway," I said, "what happened to Jada and Cara and Andy?" Sophie cleared her throat.

"They went to…talk," she replied. I nodded slowly and yawned, suddenly aware of how tired I was.

"I think I'm going back to the hotel. I'm really tired," I said, yawning again.

"I'll come back with you," Sophie volunteered, standing and working her way out to stand next to me. "Anyone else?" Everyone shook their heads and we said our goodbyes and left.

When we arrived back at the hotel, Casper held me back as Sophie went to her room.

"Why don't we take the big bed?" he asked, motioning towards Lauren and Shaun's room.

"I don't think they'd like that much."

"So? Wouldn't it be nicer to share a nice big bed with me than have to sleep in a single bed with Jumpnow for company?" I squinted at him.

"Do you really think that's much of a trick question?" Casper grinned.

"No."

"I'll go and get my pyjamas," I sighed, smiling. With a triumphant grin, Casper moved for the biggest bedroom, disappearing into the dark. As I hurried to get on my pyjamas, I shimmied out of my dress and kicked off my shoes, replacing them with my pyjama shorts and t-shirt. After I quickly brushed my teeth and pulled my hair up into a ponytail, I took a deep breath and made my way to the other bedroom. Casper was already there, sitting cross-legged on the bed in a black t-shirt and boxers. He smiled cheekily and pat the spot next to him. With a smile I slid down under the covers next to him, waiting for him to do the same. When he didn't I cocked an eyebrow.

"Too hot for you?" I asked. He chuckled.

"No. It just creeps me out that someone else has slept here before me. Especially if it was Shaun and Lauren." With a squeal I jumped out of the bed and stood, back pressed against the wall.

"Ew. Ew. Ew ew ew ew!" I exclaimed, shivering. Casper had collapsed with laughter, holding his stomach.

"You have cooties!" He shouted playfully, pointing at me. With a wicked glint in my eye I pounced onto the bed and tackled him, pinning him down. I kissed his cheek.

"Now you do too."

"I can only get cooties if you kiss my lips," he said solemnly.

"Bull shit," I laughed.

"No, it's true. Cooties are only contagious through kissing. Kissing girls is yuck." I laughed again at his little boy façade.

"You sound like a little kid!" I exclaimed.

"But girls _are_ yucky." I looked down at him sceptically.

"So all girls are yucky. Every single one?" Casper nodded. I ducked my head close to his, our lips centimetres apart. "Hmm. Well then I guess I can't kiss you." I rolled off him and put my back to him. I heard the doona move as he crawled over to me.

"Don't be mad at me, please," he crooned in my ear.

"Well you said girls are yucky. I don't know how I could even bare to look at you after that," I teased.

"Pleeeeeease don't be mad at me." I didn't say a word, wondering how he would react. After a few seconds Casper wrapped his arms around me from the back, his hands clasped over my stomach. "Don't be mad at me," he whispered, brushing his lips along my neck. I closed my eyes, revelling in the feel of his fingers tracing along my stomach. My eyes began more and more difficult to open and eventually, they sealed shut and my breathing slowed, lulling me into sleep.

When I woke, Casper was still beside me, his arms still in the same place they were when we fell asleep. There was swearing coming from the lounge and I yawned and carefully shifted out of Casper's hold. Slowly, I meandered into the living room to find Sophie sitting in front of the TV, he hands gripping either side. Of course, the swearing was coming from her, the torrent of cussing almost frightening me.

"Sophie!" I exclaimed. "What is it?" She turned around to face me, her eyes wide with terror. And then I heard the music. That frustrating, whiny voice.

"It's…"

"Justin Bieber," she whispered. I screamed and scrambled over the back of the couch, diving down towards the TV set.

"HOW DO WE CHANGE IT?" I shrieked, shaking the television.

"I don't know!" Sophie cried. "I lost the remote!"

"You _what_?"

"I just misplaced it! I'm sorry!"

"Now we're stuck with _this_ for the next three minutes!" I exclaimed, shaking the screen once more.

"I'm gonna die!" She moaned. "I'm gonna – " There was a buzz as the screen went black. I stared up at it in awe, my jaw dropped.

"Did that just…?" Lauren stood by the powerpoint, holding a cable in her hand.

"You know," she said, "you could've just unplugged the plug."

"I knew that," Sophie huffed, standing up.

"Of course you did," I muttered, rolling my eyes and getting to my feet.

"Anyway," Lauren said, "We have rehearsals in about ten minutes so I suggest you hurry it up a little." My mouth dropped open in terror. "And, Ashli?" I turned to her.

"Yeah?"

"You should probably know what has happened in a bed before you sleep there."

The studio was the exact same as we left it. Our instruments were propped up in their stands, the tangle of wires still snaking across the floor. I sighed and picked up my bass, running my hand across the neck. Surprisingly, I'd missed it. Playing music seemed to be my only escape recently and I never wanted to be away from the soul thing that produced that music. My heart sank when I found out that Short Stack were practising first, but I tried not to let it get to me as I went to find myself somewhere to sit. Eventually I found a nice dark corridor, sliding down into the corner and closing my eyes. I just needed to be alone. All the noise and headache I'd endure in the past few days had really started to get to me. My heart dropped back against the wall and I took a deep breath. Andy, Jada and Cara hadn't come back till everyone else had, having sorted out the whole problem of who was who. When we'd been driving to the studio, Cara was nowhere to be seen; assuming she'd stayed at a hotel or had gone elsewhere. Andy, though, looked the happiest I'd seen him in a long while, Jada sending me smiles of thanks every so often. I had no choice but to return these smiles. She'd become my best friend again and not who I thought she was. As I let my eyes close, I heard a sultry voice float out from a room not too far away. I crawled towards the nearest door and pressed my ear against the crack between the floor and the door.

"I miss you too," I heard someone giggle. My stomach dropped. It was Lauren. "I know that," she continued. "But I'm finding it harder to talk to you. My friends are onto me…" _Damn straight we are_, I thought to myself.

"Anyway, look, I have to go…They'll get suspicious if I'm gone for too long…I love you too…Bye." I heard her phone snap shut and her footsteps pad towards the door. Scrambling backwards into the darkest corner I could manage, I watched her open the door and step out, walking back towards the front of the studio without a look back. I let my head drop into my hands. I didn't want to believe it. How could she cheat on Shaun? I heaved a groan and pulled myself to my feet. Looked like my quiet time was over. Slowly, I continued back into the rehearsing area, watching as Short Stack took a quick break. As Andy spotted me, he put down his bass and jogged over.

"Hi," he said timidly, smiling.

"Hey," I replied, trying to answer as normally as possible.

"Look, I just wanted to say thankyou. For everything."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, for telling me about Jada and Cara and letting me go off to talk with them and sort everything out. I appreciate it." My mouth opened and closed a couple of times.

"You're welcome," I said meekly. With another smile, he turned away. As if having a second thought, he stopped and faced me again.

"I just want to let you know that I still will always have feelings for you. No matter who I'm with. And I'm really sorry for any pain that I've caused you." I nodded mutely and watched as he slung his arm around Jada's shoulders and leant in for a kiss. She laughed and pushed him away gently. After a moment, she glanced over at me and held up a finger to Andy. Before I knew it, she was standing in front of me.

"Hi Ash," she said shyly.

"Hi Jada."

"I'm…sorry. For everything. That whole misunderstanding with Cara was just too much for you, I know."

"I understand now. You had to do it," I replied quietly.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go get a coffee or something later on? You know, you don't have to if you don't want to but I just thought it would…be nice." I thought for a moment.

"I'd love to," I replied, smiling.

"Great. I guess we'll talk later?" I nodded and watched as she bit her lip. After a second, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me momentarily. Even before I could comprehend what was happening, she'd let go and was back with Andy, laughing and smiling once more.

* * *

So I hope you liked that (: Just a note, I'm starting to run out of ideas so if you have any input or if you want to see something happen, feel free to tell me :D

Anyways, here are the repliesssss:

**CommeParMagie: **Ahaha I'm glad it evoked such a reaction! I'm sorry if you didn't quite understand :s was a bit drastic...

**JessieFOHStack**: YESSS! haha she has a twin.

**Short-Blah-Stacked: **Omg thanks ((((: means so much to me. WHAT DID SHAUN DO TO YOU? D: MEANIE. Sam, i'm not too sure abour him yet... may have to wait and see. I'm sorry if you think some of them were a tad creepy :P I think I didn't portray them very well.

**hanna: **ahaha that's very violent :s haha naww Casper is pre sweet. Sucks that you're sick ): though because it's taken me so long to update you're probably all well again (:

**Imspiderman: **Haha i can see that clearly :D Everyone is so violent towards Andy! It's mean. But i guess I just write him up as a completely tool... hmm... I wonder how he would feel if he read this. Probs not too good about it! :P

**short-stacks-little-princess: **Aww thankyou (: I'm so sorry if I confused you! I suck at that sorta stuff sometimes...but thanks for still reading it anyways (:

**bradie webb's no.1 girl: **aww thankyou (: but that is so not true. At all.

**SenseOfPretend: **thankss (((: HAPPY BIRTHDAY! :DDDD I'm STILL not 14 yet. Jealous rage now... :P

**omgityouu: **thankyou (:

P.S: Went to Paramore concert on Wedensday night! Amazing. You should all go to one!

PPS: You should all listen to the song Eagle Rock by Daddy Cool and the song The Middle by Jimmy Eat World. Love those songs.


	31. Chapter 31

AN: So I want a truce. If you're reading this (you know who you are) I'm saying I want to truce. Knowing I'm going to have this on my back for the rest of my life is going to make me feel uncomfortable forever. So I'm sorry. Truce. Just, please, give me any sign that you understand what I'm saying. Thankyou.

On another note, I hope you guys like this chapter and there is a little surprise for a reader's friend in either this chapter or the next one.

PLUS I'M SO VERY SORRY. More chapters should be up kinda soon coz I'm on holidays now! So sorry everyone! D:

**Never Give In**

What if she brings Cara? What'll you do then? The same haunting thoughts tornadoed around my head, making me dizzy with angst. Getting up off my bed, I tugged on my jeans and ran a hand through my hair. I was supposed to be meeting Jada at 2:00 for coffee and so far it was 1:50. After rehearsal, which had finished at twelve in the afternoon, I'd meandered back to the hotel with Casper and spent the rest of the afternoon watching The Dudesons on MTV. Now that I was almost running late, I regretted waiting until so late to get ready. Jamming on my Converse, I snatched up my phone and hotel room keycard from my bedside table and bounded out the door.

"Woah where're you going?" Casper asked from the couch, glancing up as I flew by.

"Coffee remember? I'm running late." Casper pouted.

"Why? I'm gonna be lonely now." Slowly, I went over to the couch, leaning over the back. Softly, I kissed his lips, thankful for the fact that everyone was out. Casper's hands twined into my hair and secured me to him. Gently, I pried myself away and ran my fingers down the scar on his cheek. His hair had been cut to a more suitable length, his blue fringe now covering only the right part of his forehead and a little of his eye. There had been many questions about his scar, I knew, and they had all gone unanswered.

"I'll be back soon, I promise," I whispered, kissing his cheek before spinning around and ducking out the door.

When I got down to the ground level, I quickly checked the tourist map stuffed into my pocket. Walking fast down the street, I turned at all the right places, and eventually found myself standing outside a café called Neverland. The inside was appropriately decorated like Neverland, with checked tiles and pictures of the white rabbit and mad hatter adorning the walls. I scanned the place carefully, keeping my eyes open for blonde hair.

"Ashli, over here!" I heard someone call. Spinning around, I saw Jada sitting in the corner by herself – thankfully –, waving at me. I smiled tentatively and went over, sitting in the chair opposite. She already had a coffee in front of her and stirred at it absently.

"Sorry, I already ordered," she said sheepishly, glancing down at her drink.

"It's fine," I replied, "I don't blame you. I think I'm late…" Checking the time on the large novelty clock on the wall, my theory was confirmed. It had taken me ten minutes to get to the café and so I was roughly five minutes late.

"Do you want to order something?" Jada asked as she picked up her cup, taking a sip.

"I'm fine. I'll grab something later if I need to…" Silence fell over us and I shifted in my seat, uncomfortable with the direction the conversation could take.

"I wanted to talk to you about something," Jada said suddenly, putting down her cup. I mentally cursed myself for jinxing the situation.

"Sure," I choked out, nodding.

"Well about Cara and all that. And Andy." I looked her in the eye.

"Better get this over with, then," I said lightly, smiling slightly.

"I'm sorry. About all of it. For taking Andy from you and for bringing Cara into this. Even from the very beginning. I should've told you, Ashli. I know I should've but I just couldn't," she gushed, avoiding my eyes. "And everything is just so messed up now and I just regret so much. Would you forgive me?" She looked up into my eyes and I bit my lip.

"I forgive you." I held up my hand. "But I'm sorry too. I should have known better that you weren't yourself. I wasn't being a good friend. So I guess I'm just as much to blame as you are." She smiled at me, the same smile I'd known for fourteen years. I'd missed it. Missed her.

"I remember when I found you again. At that Maccas in the middle of nowhere. I remember when I saw you for the first time. You and Andy. You looked so happy together," she whispered. "I'm sorry for ruining that." I shook my head.

"Jada, don't be sorry. Andy made a choice and I found Casper. I think I'm much happier now." She nodded and I smiled at her.

"Now, come on, let's go for a walk," she said, standing and gesturing for me to follow. Dropping a five-dollar note on the table, she sauntered out the door. I followed after, laughing when she caught the eye of a younger guy walking past.

"Did you see him?" I asked.

"See who?" Jada turned around, flicking her hair over her shoulder.

"That kid. He just saw you and stared," I laughed, shaking my head.

"Well I'm not surprised," she said, putting on a posh accent. She giggled infectiously and I joined her, almost skipping down the street with happiness. Poker Face rang out from Jada's bag and she quickly slipped out her phone, laughing until she answered.

"Hel – …Andy? What happened?…Oh my god…is she okay?…How did it happen?…oh…the poor girl…Okay. I'll be right there." I listened to her conversation intently, watching as her face fell.

"Jada what's wrong?" I asked cautiously, taking hold of her arm. She put her phone back into her bag silently.

"There was a car accident," she said quietly. "There was a girl and Andy…he helped her. We need to get there now." I nodded.

"Okay, do you know where?" Jada nodded, giving me the street name. Hurriedly checking my map, we practically ran down the street, trying to get to the accident as quickly as we could. I saw the flashing lights from half a block away – heard the sirens. It was serious. The whole street was blocked off, pedestrians told to move along or be fined. We arrived at the barriers set up, panting and gasping for air.

"I…can't see…Andy anywhere," Jada panted, frantically searching the scene for him.

"Excuse me, ladies, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to move on," a police officer said stonily, appearing on the other side of the barrier.

"Wait, we have to…see someone…in there," I gasped.

"This is a restricted area. No unauthorised personnel are permitted past this barrier," he said, gesturing to the separation tool in front of us.

"Look here," Jada shouted suddenly. "My boyfriend is in there and I'm going to go in there to make sure he's okay, got it?" The police officer looked taken aback, anger flaring in his eyes.

"Excuse me, ma'am but – "

"Jada!" Andy's voice came from behind the policeman and he pushed past him, throwing his arms around Jada, kissing the top of her head.

"Oh my god, Andy," Jada said. "I was so worried about you. What happened?"

"The girl, she was crossing the road and she didn't see the car and it almost hit her, but I had to grab her and…she still got hit," Andy said hurriedly, his voice wavering.

"Shh, it's okay," Jada soothed, running her fingers through his hair. I looked away, towards the policeman and saw his apprehension. As Jada and Andy pulled apart, the policeman cleared his throat.

"Look, you're a witness to this crime scene so we're going to need to get a statement from you," he said to Andy. Andy nodded, trying to look brave, but I saw his jaw quiver, the movement in his brow.

"I'll see you soon," he whispered to us, nodding at me before walking back towards an awaiting policewoman. Jada stared after him and I tugged on her arm gently.

"Come on," I said softly. "We have to leave." Reluctantly, she let me lead her away, shooting worried glances back over her shoulder until the site disappeared from view.

Jada had separated from me before I'd gone back to the hotel, saying she was meeting up with Cara. Thankfully, she didn't suggest I accompany her. As I got into our hotel room, I saw Casper on the couch, watching MTV. Shutting the door quietly behind me, I crept up behind him.

"RAWR!" I giggled into his ear. Jumping, he spun around in fright before realising that it was only me. "Hi."

"Hey," he replied, smiling weakly. "You scared me."

"Me? Scare you? I thought that was impossible," I said lightly, walking around the front of the couch and flopping down next to him.

"If only you knew the half of it," he commented, kissing my forehead.

"Where is everyone?" I asked after a minute or two of silence. Jackass had started and Casper's eyes were glued to the TV. It took a few prods with my foot to get him to answer.

"Oh, they're…out," he replied, shooting me a grin. I narrowed my eyes.

"Right." We sat in complete silence for the next half an hour or so, watching Jackass. Once it had finished, Casper turned to me.

"So how was your little date?" I laughed.

"It was not a date," I said. "But it was good."

"Did you miss me?"

"I don't think I've ever felt a pain so strong," I cried, my voice laden with sarcasm.

"Funny," he chuckled. "But really, how was it? No bitch fights?" I shook my head.

"No, surprisingly. It was very…civilised."

"Hmm…not like you at all." Digging Casper in the ribs, I gave it to him as a message to shut-up.

"But there was an accident on the way home. Andy had gotten involved in this – "

"What were you doing talking to Andy?" His voice had turned cold, hostile. Glancing up at him, I felt my forehead crease.

"He's still my friend," I said disapprovingly. "And he's Jada's boyfriend. I was with Jada at the time." There was a silence, awkward and uncomfortable, and I frowned. "Why are you so protective, anyway?"

"Why shouldn't I be? He broke you and left me to pick up the pieces," Casper replied. "I don't think he should be trusted."

"Trusted? Really?" Casper nodded. "Casper, I've known him for longer than I've known you. And you say he's the one who can't be trusted?" I felt rage bubbling up inside of me, fighting to be free.

"At least I've never left you for your best friend!" He snapped.

"That has nothing to do with this! Face it, you're just jealous of Andy because I always chose him over you."

"So you think I'm jealous? Really? Considering you went of your head like a little brat when you found out Andy had started dating Jada!" We were both standing now, our voices filling the lounge room around us.

"You know what? You're fucking ridiculous!" I shouted, taking a step towards Casper. "You think that just because you're older than me you know everything!"

"No I do not!" Casper snorted. "I'm only stating the facts here."

"The facts?"

"Didn't you hear me the first time? Do I need to repeat it for you?"

"Grow up, Casper," I hissed, dangerously quiet. "Stop pretending you can get away with being a child." Stepping away, I shook my head.

"A child? Really?"

"Yes. Really."

"I think you should be telling yourself that – seeing as every time Andy ever said something bad to you, you ran off crying. Every. Single. Time. So next time you consider saying I'm a child, take a look in the mirror," he growled. I took a step back, feeling like he'd slapped me across the face. "Didn't see that one coming, did you?" I opened my mouth to shout, scream, cry, but nothing came. Just a truck-full of hurt, tumbling down onto me like a pile of bricks.

"And you know what else?" He continued, advancing forward so our toes were barely an inch apart. "You are just a child. You're naïve, ridiculous, dramatic, idiotic." He leant in, breath fanning across my cheek. "Learn to deal with your own problems. No one wants to hear every event of your life. So keep it zipped." My hurt was now replaced by searing anger. Without even thinking twice, my hand shot up and a crack resounded through the room. Casper's head flew to the left and I felt my fingers tingling with the impact. Once he stabilised himself, he straightened, rubbing a hand along his jaw. I heard the creak of a door to my right and I whipped my head around, realising with a snap that there were people in the doorway. Lauren, Shaun, Sophie and Bradie were standing stock still, their mouths agape, eyes wide. My hands were clenched into tight fists at my sides and before knew it, I stalked towards the door, skirting around my friends and disappearing down the hall.

'Well, great, fucking great,' I hissed to myself. Quite clearly, I relationships were most definitely not my forte. At all. As the elevator took me down to the lowest floor of the hotel, I stepped out and stalked over to the entrance. Anger, annoyance, something that felt like sorrow and remorse pooled in my blood, concocting together to make some sort of emotional cocktail. Why the hell couldn't I keep a relationship at least semi-stable for more than a few weeks? Now, angrier at myself than anyone, I stopped dead in my tracks. Maybe what Casper had said was right. He shouldn't have said it, but maybe it was true. All of it.

'What he said was totally unnecessary,' my brain screamed at me. Stifling a growl, I massaged my temples and continued forward.

Eventually, I found myself at a bookstore, curled up on an armchair, reading. Typical.

Just as I finished the book, I looked up to see a girl standing in front of me, pushing her glasses up her nose.

"We're closing now," she informed me politely, gesturing to the door. Standing hurriedly, I returned my book to the stand and smiled at her.

"Thanks," I said, waving shyly before bounding out the door. Outside, it was dark. Checking my watch, I realised with a start that it was eight p.m. Speeding my pace to a run, I got back to the hotel in about ten minutes, panting. As I staggered my way into the elevator and up to my floor, I felt all my anger return, simmering lowly in my stomach. Stepping out of the lift, I padded down the hallway quietly.

'No turning back now,' I said to myself. Usually my pride took the better of me, but this time, I knew that I'd been childish – adding to the reason I was so apprehensive to return to my friends. As I came to the door of the hotel room, I tried the handle. It didn't budge. I'd had some waning hope that the door would be unlocked so I could sneak in without being seen; but no. Doors in hotels weren't ever unlocked. Taking a deep breath, I rose my clenched fist and rapped sharply three times. After a few seconds, I heard voices arise and the door swung open. Sophie stood in the doorway, framed by a halo of golden light from the living room.

"Hi," she said, surprised. Avoiding her gaze, I mumbled a greeting in reply. Stepping out of the way, she motioned for me to move inside and I did, making a beeline for my bedroom. Jumpnow and I were still sharing a room – as uncomfortable as it made me – but I was thankful to find that he was no where in sight. Flopping down onto my bed, I kicked off my Converse and dragged my arm over my eyes. I didn't realise how tired I was until I was actually lying down. There was a light knock on the door and I sat up. Lauren walked in, holding a plate.

"I just brought you some pizza. We had it for dinner and I thought you might be hungry," she said, coming over and putting it on my bedside table.

"Thanks," I mumbled, smiling somewhat ruefully. The smell of cheese pizza wafted up from the plate and filled my nose.

"Just…call me if you need anything…" with a smile, she retreated, shutting the door quietly behind her. Picking up one of the two slices of pizza, I wolfed it down, acutely aware of how little I'd eaten since lunch. Soon after, I lay back down and closed my eyes, falling into a light slumber

When I slowly woke, I first noticed the darkness. Then the presence of Jumpnow in the bed next to mine. An unimaginable thirst dried my throat and I got up steadily, prying open the door and stepping out into the corridor. The TV was playing softly in the living room and I crept forward, aware that it was very, very early in the morning; probably around 2 am. As I entered the main area, I noticed the figure on the couch, sitting up rigidly, their hair spiked haphazardly. I almost spun right back around and went back to bed, but then they turned their head and stared right at me. My heart going solid, I forced my feet to move leadenly towards the kitchen. Casper's eyes followed me until I was covered by the kitchen cabinets. Pulling a glass from the cupboard, I filled it with water and drained it in a matter of seconds. Letting out a shaky breath, I put the glass in the sink and slunk back into the lounge room. Before I made it to the hallway, Casper stopped me.

"Ashli, wait," he said softly. Halting, I turned to him, watching as he stood.

"What?" I snapped.

"Come here." Slowly, I walked over to him, standing away a little. "I'm sorry." This surprised me. He didn't sound angry, but I didn't expect him to apologise. After all, I'd been the one to slap him. When I didn't talk, he took a step forward. "I shouldn't have said all of that," he sighed, rubbing a hand across his forehead. "I was just…angry. I know I was being a dickhead."

"I'm sorry for slapping you," I said quietly. He pulled up a corner of his mouth in a lopsided grin.

"You certainly are strong, babe," he chuckled suddenly. I bit my lip, struggling to supress the smile that spread across my face.

"I hope it didn't hurt too much," I said lamely, stepping forward.

"It hurt," he admitted. "A lot."

"Do I get a goodnight?" I asked quietly, gazing up at Casper guiltily. Gently, he pushed a stray piece of hair away from my face.

"Goodnight," he whispered, kissing my cheek. Pouting, I crossed my arms over my chest.

"That's all you got?" I teased. With a wicked light in his eyes, Casper linked his arms around my waist and walked me backwards until I was pressed against the wall. Tackling my lips with his, he chuckled lowly and pulled away.

"Much better," I said a little breathlessly, wrapping my arms around him for a hug. Just like that, it was resolved. I leant my head on his chest, felt him kiss my forehead, and I knew I hadn't made a mistake.

* * *

**AN: **So I hope that was sorta worth the incredibly long wait!

REPLIES: :D

omgityouu: TELL YOUR FRIEND TO BE PREPARED! : D

short-stacks-little-princess: Ahaha thanks (: More readers!

Miss cullen 2010: Thankyou so much!

Short-Blah-Stacked: omg! That's an amazing review! But it's sad to hear about Shaun . I hope you still love him! And thankyou (: I try make the characters sorta normal

bradie webb's no.1 girl: Awwh thankyou (:

aphrodite-my-andy: hi! Sure (: I'll certainly try put some Sonny in there :)

short-stacks-lone-wolf: I'm not quite sure how many! Maybe however many it takes for me to run out of ideas completely (: And thankyou!

ladicHicHi: thankyou for the suggestion! (:

hanna: Woww awesome review! I LOVE that idea! But for what I have planned, it may not work D: I'll try get it in there!


	32. Chapter 32

**AN: **Another chapter for you all! Enjoy.

Everyone listen to the song My Penrose Stairs by For Our Hero. Totally in love with those guys (:

**Affectionate old-people names. **

Andy's court case – from the accident – was the day after (Monday) and we all begrudgingly tagged along. Halfway through, Shaun suggested quietly that we leave. Everyone agreed instantly and we all slunk out of the courtroom, leaving Andy alone at the witness stand. The girl – Jacqui – was still in hospital and too injured to appear at the trial so in her place was a medical expert. She eyed us beadily as we left. Once we were outside, dressed in our smartest outfits which weren't very smart, we sat on the steps outside the court. Shaun tugged at the tie roped around his neck.

"I hate wearing this stuff," he moaned, digging his fingers into the loop in the tie. Lauren sighed and assisted him, loosening it expertly and slid it off him, dropping it into his awaiting hands. Casper chuckled lowly and I shot him a questioning look. He shook his head discreetly and slung his arm around my waist. Sophie was sprawled out on the step below me, her arm flopped over her closed eyes.

"Why?" She groaned dramatically. "_Why_?"

"What is it this time?" I asked sarcastically.

"Ruptured lung? Appendicitis?" Lauren added, crossing her arms over her chest and looking bored. Soph sat up, looking at us like we'd just suggested the moon was made of cheese.

"No. I'm just bored?" Rolling my eyes, I rest back against Casper's shoulder. Making a 'pfft' sound, Sophie went back to her soap opera state, whining about how terribly bored she was. After about ten minutes, I decided I couldn't take anymore.

"Sophie! Shut up!" I exclaimed. Immediately, she stopped, regarding me with eyes like a puppy dog. "Don't give me that…" I snorted, ignoring her when she sniffled and huddled up like a child. Casper chuckled again and I turned on him.

"What is with you and laughing?" I asked, exasperated. He stopped and straightened his face.

"Laughing? Me?" Narrowing my eyes, I clenched my lips into a line.

"Don't. Tempt. Me," I muttered darkly.

"What're you gonna do?" He taunted, a wicked smile tugging up one corner of his mouth.

"You really want to know?"

"This is like porn," I heard Shaun mutter. Then the sound of skin hitting skin and a distinct 'Ow!'.

"I'm going to have to kill you," I said.

"And how are you going to do that?" Stretching my hand out in front of me, I flexed my fingers.

"Oh, you know, slowly, painfully. I was thinking along the lines of stabbing. But then I decided that would be too messy…" I trailed off in purposeful thought. Hearing Sophie snicker in the background, I shrugged. "But I'm fine with whatever."

"Is that so?" Casper said slowly. I could tell he was slightly uncomfortable. Discussing his death wouldn't exactly be a welcome topic of conversation for him. To assure him I wasn't being serious, I wrapped my arms loosely around his neck and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"I'm not going to kill you," I murmured. "You're too precious." At that, Casper gave a snort of laughter.

"Precious? Please, babe, come up with a better term of endearment."

"Okay then. You're too…amazing?"

"Try again." I heard conversation start up behind us and I thought harder now, thankful that no one was listening.

"Good-looking?" Casper chuckled. "Awesome?"

"Uh…no."

"Stuck up?"

"Nice try." I drummed my fingers on his chest.

"God damned sexy?"

"That's more like it." Laughing, I ran a hand through his hair.

"Okay. So I'm not going to kill you because you're too god damned sexy, is that it?"

"That's it," he agreed. "But then again, you can't kill me unless I kill you first."

"Is that so?" I mocked. Grinning wickedly, Casper reached out a hand to grab me, but I dodged it lithely and bounded down the steps. "You gotta catch me before you can kill me."

"Challenge accepted," he said before jumping up and running after me. Spinning around, I took off down the street, dodging around lawyers and businessmen as they passed. Hearing Casper's feet hitting the pavement fairly close behind, I ducked into a side street, realising with annoyance that it was a dead end. As I rounded to make an escape, Casper was already behind me, arms crossed over his chest.

"Got you," he chuckled, reaching out a hand and putting it on my waist. Reaching out, he braced his other hand on the brick wall behind me just next to my shoulder. As he leant down, I saw the same glint of wickedness in his eyes and he leant his forehead against mine. Just before our lips brushed, I ducked down, shoving my way past his arms. Casper stumbled forward, catching himself on the wall before his forehead hit the bricks. Stifling a laugh, I turned and ran before he managed to catch up with me again. This time I headed back towards the court, keeping an eye out for my friends. When I finally reached the court, everyone who had been at the hearing was now outside, discussing what had occurred inside. Spotting my friends at the top of the steps, I jogged up to them.

"How'd it go?" I heard Jada ask Andy, her hand on his shoulder.

"Alright, I guess. Turns out Jacqui doesn't have parents. No one can track them down," he replied, shrugging.

"Jacqui?" I asked, curious.

"The girl who was in the accident," Jada told me, smiling.

"So what happened?" It was Shaun who asked this time, resting his chin on the top of Lauren's head.

"The driver got three months in prison. I had to give a witness statement," Andy muttered. "Not like I wanted to relive what happened." Jada put her arm around him, giving him a sympathetic squeeze.

"It's okay," she murmured. A hushed silence fell over the group of us, sounds of chattering passers-by echoing in our ears. Lauren cracked her knuckles and I cleared my throat awkwardly.

"Why don't we go…somewhere," Bradie said loudly.

"Yeah, who wants pizza?" Shaun piped up. A mumble of agreement rippled through the group of us so Shaun bounded down the steps, leading the way. We all trooped along behind obediently, reminding me somewhat of Madeline. I – at the present time – was Madeline, tagging along at the back. Before I knew it, I felt an arm close around my waist.

"Got you…again," Casper said in my ear and I could practically hear the grin in his voice.

"So I see," I smiled.

"You shouldn't have run off," he sighed.

"And why's that?"

"This." In an instant, I was in his arms, then dangling over the back of his shoulder, his arms wrapped tightly around my legs.

"Casper!" I exclaimed. "What the _fuck_ are you doing?"

"Payback, m'dear." Momentarily, I was stunned.

"Did you just call me 'm'dear'?"

"I believe I did," he replied smartly. From my upside-down position on his back, I could see the pedestrians walking by and snickering or giving me a very strange look.

"Keep on walking," I shouted at one particularly bold lady who stopped to point and stare. "You never seen this happen before?"

"I don't think they have," Sophie commented lightly from in front, taking a glance backwards. "You both look sort of…like you've been cast for a porno."

"Was that necessary?" I mumbled.

"Don't be sour, dear," Casper crooned.

"Did you honestly call me 'dear'?"

"Yes, my love, I did."

"WE AREN'T AN OLD MARRIED COUPLE," I shouted, exasperated.

"Someone's forgotten their pills today," Shaun muttered to Lauren.

"Oi, gay-boy, shut up," I fired back. Lauren shot me a narrow-eyed look. We continued walking, Shaun's consistent chattering gnawing at my ears. Finally we reached the pizza shop, filed in and were seated at a booth. Casper reluctantly lowered me to the ground, and I smacked his arm, crawling into the booth next to Lauren. Casper slid in beside me, grinning. I struggled to keep my own smile hidden, biting the inside of my cheek. Suddenly, 'Ashley' by Escape the Fate rang out from Lauren's pocket. Jumping, she excused herself, crawling over everyone to get out of the booth. I watched as she walked quickly to the bathrooms, looking more excited then she probably should. My stomach dropped and I glanced over at Shaun. He looked so oblivious; talking away with Jumpnow like nothing was going on. Feeling suddenly angry, I muttered an excuse and made a hasty escape from the booth, almost running towards the bathroom. I heard Sophie's questioning tone of voice as I was sure she was watching me run off.

"IBS!" Shaun shouted after me and I sloppily gave him the middle finger as I pushed on the door. Inside the small area were three other doors. One marked with Female, the other with Male and the last with Exit. Quickly checking the Female bathroom, I found no trace of Lauren. Deciding that she wouldn't be inside the Men's, I went back to the Exit door, pushing down the bar tentatively. The door gave and I pushed it open slowly, hearing Lauren's voice.

"I know, I know…" she giggled. "I've just got to find a way of breaking it off with Shaun…" Anger flaring up inside of me, I shoved my way outside, finding myself in an alley. Lauren stood by the exit, looking shocked and slightly horrified. Snatching the mobile from her hand, I lifted it to my ear.

"Who is this?" I hissed, moving out of reach of Lauren who was trying to grab her phone back.

"Uh…Ben? Who are you?"

"You don't need to know who I am," I snapped. "I want you to stop calling Lauren, right now, okay? Just –"

"Ashli, give me my phone!" Lauren shouted, her fingers closing around my wrist. Hurriedly, I pressed the red button on her phone and reluctantly let her take it back.

"What are you doing?"  
"I think I should be asking _you_ that question!" I exclaimed. "Who the fuck is Ben?"

"He's a friend…why the hell are you following me, anyway?" At the mouth of the alley, I saw people stop to glance down at us and then continue on before they appeared rude.

"Who is Ben?" I repeated, quieter this time. She shifted uncomfortably. "Who. Is. He?"

"He's a guy I met at a concert," she blurted. "He's a friend."

"Then why are you talking about breaking it off with Shaun?"

"I wasn't!" She defended. Closing my mouth with a snap, I glared at her for a moment before skirting around a rubbish bag and darting back inside.

'_Why is she lying?'_ I growled to myself, yanking open the door that led back to the restaurant. The dull hum of other patrons sounded in my ears as I made my way back to the table. Sophie raised her eyebrows at me, half a slice of pizza hanging out of her mouth. I gave her a discreet I'll-tell-you-later nod and took my place back next to Casper.

"Everything okay, babe?" He said in my ear. I nodded.

"I think so." He kissed my temple swiftly before reaching for a piece of pizza.

"You want some?" He asked, holding out once he'd taken a bite. I shook my head, feeling ill with what had happened with Lauren. Mindless chatter passed around the table, stopping and starting when the topic of conversation drew to a close and another began. Lauren arrived back about ten minutes after I did, sliding in to sit back next to me. I pressed closer to Casper, trying to ignore Lauren as best I could. Surprisingly, she acted like nothing was wrong, talking and laughing like she usually would. If anything, that made me slightly angrier.

"I think we should go see Jacqui," Andy piped up, taking a bit of pizza.

"What for?" Bradie asked.

"Well, she doesn't have any family.

"No family? Really?" Shaun scoffed.

"There was no one there for her at the trial. I think she's an orphan or something," Andy replied, shrugging.

"An orphan?" Shaun repeated.

"Do you need a hearing aid?" Casper drawled. Shaun shot him a deadly glare. Andy seemed to be oblivious to them.

"I was planning in going to see her when visiting hours started at the hospital. But if you guys don't want to come then that's okay," he said.

"We'll come," I announced after taking a glance at everyone. They looked indifferent, shrugging and mumbling their approval. Once everyone had finished their pizza, we paid and all filed out onto the sidewalk.

"The hospital's about ten minutes' walk from here," Andy said, beginning a leisurely stroll down the street.

"But I don't wanna walk," Shaun whined, dragging his feet along behind.

"Really? Too bad," Andy replied, taking a left at the corner.

"Lauren can you carry me?" Shaun begged, leaning on Lauren's shoulder. She shifted away uncomfortably, glancing around in a way that made me suspicious.

"Just walk," she snapped. Shaun drew back, looking mildly hurt and confused. I walked forward, squeezing his shoulder.

"Is she…" He trailed off, glancing over at me.

"She's just going through a bad time," I whispered as not to draw her attention.

"Have I done something wrong?" His words brought a stab of pity to my stomach. His eyes, wide and earnest, went back and forth from me and Lauren, lip tucked under is top teeth. I couldn't help myself. I stopped and wrapped my arms around him.

"You haven't done anything," I choked out.

"Are you okay?" Shaun asked, alarmed, patting my back awkwardly.

"I'm fine," I stammered, pulling away. Everyone was up ahead, chatting away loudly – they wouldn't notice we were lagging behind. As I met his gaze, I felt the term 'word vomit' come to mind. "Shaun, Lauren's cheating on you," I blurted. Instantly, I clapped my hands over my mouth. There was silence and our friends drifted further away.

"What?" His voice quivered, was quiet. I licked my lips. Maybe telling him was a mistake? Glancing around, I made sure no one was paying attention to us.

"Lauren, she's _cheating_ on you. I caught on the phone with this guy…and…and she said she was going to break up with you. I'm so sorry," I gushed. Shaun's gaze was distant, eyes glittering with unshed tears. "She was going to tell you." I tacked this on the end – maybe to soften the blow, I didn't know.

"I think I want to go back to the hotel," he whispered, staring down at his hands.

"Are you sure?" He nodded. "Okay. Look, I'm really, _really_, sorry. I'll see you later…" As I turned to go, he caught my arm.

"Please come with me," he choked out. Turning back to face him, I saw the pain across his face.

"Okay, come on." Taking his hand, I began to tow him through the busy streets. We didn't talk – didn't look back. Finally, we arrived back at the hotel room. Shaun stood in the kitchen, leaning against the counter.

"Are you alright?" I asked gently. He shook his head slowly. I sighed heavily. "I'm really sorry. I should've told you when I found out but I just couldn't."

"How long?" he asked, his voice barely audible.

"I don't know," I told him. He nodded mutely.

"I should be angry," he whispered. "But I'm not. Maybe I wasn't good enough for her…"

"Shaun, no. You're good enough for her. You've done nothing wrong, alright? It was Lauren's fault. She made the decision to...lose you." I pulled him into another hug and he wrapped his arms around me.

"Are you sure?" He asked, voice muffled by my shoulder.

"I'm sure." After a few more seconds, he pulled away. "Now, I think there's ice cream in the freezer…?" I trailed off, waiting for his reaction. He smiled the smallest amount and I grinned, tugging open the freezer door and pulling out a tub of cookies and cream ice cream. Producing a couple of spoons from a drawer, I led Shaun into the living room. Flicking on the TV, I channel surfed until I found a re-run of Glee. Shaun dropped down onto the couch next to me, reaching for a spoon. So there we sat, eating ice cream and listening to the cast of Glee sing their hearts out. Then How I Met Your Mother began and I grinned uncontrollably. Until, that is, my phone rang. Prying it out of my pocket, i held it to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey, where are you?" Sophie was on the other end, sounding confused.

"At the hotel. I'm with Shaun," I replied, glancing over at the boy next to me. His gaze was directed straight ahead, almost to the window.

"Why?"

"I sort of told him about…you know, Lauren."

"You _what_?"

"I had to!" I exclaimed. "I couldn't let it keep going. You know how bad it was."

"I thought we agreed not to tell anyone until we were sure what was going on," she hissed, keeping her voice low.

"Well I couldn't wait that long," I sighed. "Look, I gotta go. Bye."

"Bye." I hung up before she halted me and demanded another explanation.

"Okay, let's play a game," I announced, swivelling on the couch to face Shaun.

"What sort of game?" He asked, cautious.

"Truth or dare?" I suggested. He shrugged and turned to face me.

"Sure. Who goes first?"

"I will, I guess. Truth or dare?"

"Truth." I thought for a moment.

"How old were you when you…you know, _lost it?" _I asked. Shaun pondered this for a moment.

"I don't actually remember. I think I was drunk…" I snorted.

"That makes sense."

"Well, what about you?" He asked haughtily.

"Sixteen," I announced proudly.

"SLUT," Shaun coughed. I slapped his arm. He grinned for a moment before stopping dead. The space between us got less and less and before I knew it, he was kissing me. I jumped away, getting to my feet so quickly I would've thought it impossible.

"Woah!" I exclaimed, holding up a hand.

"Sorry! I just thought that…" Shaun trailed off, cheeks flaming.

"No…it's…fine. I think. Maybe it's a good idea if you don't do that again."

"Right. Sorry." I nodded, running a hand through my hair. I sat back down, focusing my eyes on the TV. Silence reverberated around us. Until the door opened and Sophie and Bradie barged in, yelling loudly about a video game. Everyone else followed up the rear, talking amongst themselves. Casper was last, a grin spread across his face when he spotted me. I stood instantly, grabbing his wrist and dragging into the bedroom I shared with Jumpnow.

"Okay I have to tell you something," I blurted as I shut the door.

"What is it?" Casper went over to my bed, flopping down onto it.

"Shaun kissed me." There was silence.

"Well," he said thoughtfully. "I've never minded girl-on-girl action before."

* * *

**AN:** So there you go. (:

Replies:

Hanna: I couldn't agree more. Thought my friend absolutely hates the character….ohwell (:

Short-stacks-lone-wolf: woo thanks! :D

Break Like A ChinaDoll in Blue: Woah you're a fast reader! I love that song too. It's awesome. (:

Skb.0104: haha doesn't everyone? We'll just have to wait and see. And sure I'll try get some Bradie moments in there (:

Mai loves short stack: thankyou! :D

Short-blah-stacked: Well I almost got to trade sunnies with Shaun at a meet and greet. But then the security said no -.- Anyways, I'm glad he apologised and gave you a lame high five. And thanks! I'm glad you think he seems pretty chill. Not many people do like him… I got a pretty half-arsed hug from Jumpnow…and a photo. He totally sucks at giving hugs but oh well. (:


	33. Chapter 33

**Walk This Way**

**AN: this is abnormally short but because it is so short, I just needed to upload it and start fresh.**

There are three types of people in this world; the good, the bad, and the normal.

The good: they don't drink, swear, do drugs, smoke, and eat junk food. They help out with anything asked of them, participate in charity drives and activities, donate money to every possible organisation on the face of the planet, go out and try every possible activity (i.e. Skydiving, rock-climbing, mini-golf etc.), make sure they're nice, kind, caring, loving towards everyone.

The bad: Completely opposite of the good. They drink, swear, do drugs, smoke, and eat junk food. They don't help out with anything, participate in anything to do with charity, donate money to anything at all, go out and try new things, make sure they're even relatively nice, kind, caring or loving towards anyone.

The normal: they are just average people. They occasionally swear, drink, smoke, eat junk food, and do drugs. They help out wherever they're needed, donate money when it's towards something worthwhile, try new things sometimes (restricted to mini-golf) and just make sure they're polite to people.

I considered myself two of these. Most definitely not 'the good'. If I was to ever classify myself in that category, I'd instantly claim myself insane. 'The bad' and 'the normal' were my categories. In terms of alcohol consumption, language etiquette etc., I considered myself in 'the bad'. Maybe not for the reference to drugs, but most definitely the rest. For the rest, 'the normal' category described me best. Though I didn't think I was terribly polite to people at all stages of the day. When I told Sophie this, she snorted loudly.

"Really? Only three types of people?" she said, seemingly unimpressed. I shrugged.

"Well when you think about it, yeah." I reached over and snatched a sandwich triangle from the container in her lap. We were in the middle of our practice in the studio, pausing for a lunch break. Lauren came to join us and an awkward silence blanketed us. Everything had gone sour ever since Lauren had found out I'd spilt her little secret to Shaun. No one else knew, but that made it even more awkward. It meant we had to create some sort of excuse that barely made any sense. Shaun had still avoided me ever since 'the kiss' and whenever he did have to make contact with me, it was awkward and very brief. Just that moment, Casper strode up and touched his fingers to my shoulder.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" He asked and I stood obediently, mumbling an excuse to my two friends. Casper twined my fingers with his and pulled me out of the practice room and down the hall.

"What's up?" I questioned, glancing up at him.

"Nothing." I stopped.

"Then why did you ask to talk to me?"

"'Cause I was boooored," he whined suddenly. I laughed, throwing my head back. It turned to hysterics as Casper put on a pout and tugged at my shirt sleeve like a kid.

"Honey, I was in the middle of a conversation," I laughed.

"Aren't _I_ more important than a conversation?" I stopped altogether and gazed up at him. This got me thinking. We stared at each other, my eyes roaming his face.

"Yes," I murmured after a minute. "You are." A grin stretched across his face.

"Then let's go eat something!" I let him drag me out the front doors of the studio and down the road. We ended up in a small café on a corner, perched opposite each other on rickety little chairs. We glanced over the menu a few times before the waitress sauntered over.

"Can I get you anything?" She asked, flicking her bright red hair out of her eyes. Her nose ring shimmered in the light streaming from the window beside us. Her glittering green eyes fixed on Casper.

"I'll have a Cesar salad," I announced loudly. Her head spun and she glared at me minutely before scribbling down the order. Almost instantly, she turned back to Casper.

"I'll have a toasted cheese sandwich," Casper said, smiling lazily. The waitress bent over slightly, a sultry look spreading across her face.

"Anything else?" She breathed.

"We're fine thanks," I almost-shouted. She straightened instantly and somewhat fled. I glowered at Casper.

"What?" His voice was filled with innocence.

"Never mind," I muttered, standing and heading for the bathroom.

'_Of course, this always happens to me_,' I mused as I wandered back out of the bathroom a minute or two later. But lo and behold, the waitress was back and _in my chair_. Swallowing my annoyance, I walked up to the table slowly.

'_Amazing!'_ I exclaimed in my head. Casper hadn't even realised I was there. Once I was standing just behind her, I coughed loudly. Casper jumped and glanced up at me, shocked, before smothering it with a grin.

"I thought you'd fallen in," he mused. The waitress – whose nametag read Bekky – swivelled her head to gaze up at me. I smiled sweetly.

"Excuse me, sweetie, but you are, I believe, in my chair," I told her.

"And?" She spat the word, her eyebrows raised.

"And that right in front of you is my boyfriend." Casper chuckled and I shot him a dark look. He was quiet.

"Your point is?" I leant down, my face inches from Bekky's.

"My point is, if you don't move now, you will not be able to move again," I growled lowly. She rolled her eyes and stood up, stalking off towards the kitchen. "Wasn't she nice?" I said to Casper, being overly sweet. He looked sheepish and tucked a piece of paper under his arm.

"Yeah," he said absently.

"Casper what is that?"

"What's what?"

"Do not play dumb." Sighing with defeat, he held up a piece of paper with a line of numbers on it.

"I didn't want you to see in case you got mad. I was going to throw it away," he said softly.

"Are you lying?" I probed.

"No. I just got you back. Why would I want to lose you again?"

"Prove it." Shrugging, he dunked the piece of paper into his glass of water and stuck it in his mouth, chewing and swallowing. "Okay, that is nasty," I said, wrinkling my nose.

"Nasty?"

"Yes, nasty." I sat down, grinning.

"I'll tell you what's nasty." He leant forward on his elbows, our faces inches apart. "You kissing Shaun."

"Don't go there," I replied, my voice low.

"Oh I'm going there. Do you know what it's like to have to kiss you after _that_ has kissed you?" My eyes narrowed.

"It wasn't my fault," I protested.

"It may not have been. But, really, feel my pain here." I laughed loudly.

"_Your _pain? I'm the one who he kissed!"

"I bet you enjoyed it," he sniffed.

"Oh, yes. I think I might just dump you for him," I teased.

"You wouldn't dare," Casper gasped, his voice oddly high.

"Oh really?" Casper's eyes widened dramatically and I grabbed the front of his jacket, pulling him over the table before kissing him eagerly.

"Don't stress," I said as I pulled away before walking right out of the café.


End file.
